Consequences of Power
by Matt Thermo
Summary: After escaping the asylum with the unintended help of another patient, Azula is up to her old tricks as she plans revenge against Zuko. But, as her mental state declines, she may find that her greatest enemy is herself. As Azula... full summery inside
1. Prologue

After escaping the asylum with the unintended help of another patient, Azula is up to her old tricks as she plans her revenge against Zuko. But, as her mental state declines, she may find that her greatest enemy is herself. As Azula struggles with her declining sanity, long dormant memories are stirred up, begging her to question everything about who she really is... but will Azula listen?

Zuko begins his own quest. Trying to piece together not only what led to his sisters breakdown, but what drove the siblings apart in the first place.

Meanwhile, the Gaang deal with their own problems after Aang and Katara suddenly pass out, only to come too and find out their ability to waterbend is slowly fading. A phenomenon that, unbeknownst to them, may somehow be tied to Azula's escape.

---------------

**Prologue**

Woes of the Fire Lord

"Well, you don't look happy" Mai said, addressing Zuko as he entered their room, doing nothing to hide his disappointment and frustration.

"I'm not!"

This had only been the second time since becoming Fire Lord, nearly a month ago, he'd been to visit his father. Both times for the same purpose. Information on his Mother's whereabouts. Neither visit had produced anything.

Mai felt a slight pain in her heart. He looked as though he'd not slept in days. The responsibilities of being Fire Lord already showed on his face. She wished she could do more for him, but clearing up the aftermath from one hundred years of war was bound to weigh heavily on anyone, especially someone as young as Zuko.

"He's just playing games with me!" Zuko fumed "Last time he simply refused to answer, now it was a bunch of demands. Better food, a larger cell, NICER PRISON ROBES!"

He removed the crown from his topknot, setting it down on the large ornate dresser. He walked over to the couch and sat down on it's edge. Mai sat up and moved next to him, putting her arm around him. He closed his eyes and raised his hand to the side of his face, rubbing his scarred eye.

Mai knew he was desperate for information about his mother, but between his day to day responsibilities as Fire Lord and coordinating reparations and aid to the Earth kingdom and Water Tribes, his personal desires had to be put aside. She moved her mouth closer to his ear and spoke softly.

"I know it's frustrating but..." Mai offered

"It's beyond frustrating" Zuko practically yelled out in frustration "It's infuriating. Why is he.."

"You really can't figure that out?" Mai said as she pulled back and looked at him, cocking her head to the side.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked looking over at her.

"Well, I may not know your father very well, but I do know Azula, and I have a pretty good idea of where she gets it from." She started to explain.

Zuko winced slightly at hearing his sister name. Azula... It was still something he didn't like thinking about. His last confrontation with his sister still left him... uncomfortable. He pushed it out of his mind as listened to Mai.

"He's lost all his power, so he's using the only thing he has left. He's manipulating you because he has something you want. It's the same thing she would do in his situation. "

Zuko let out a frustrated sigh. He knew she was right. It was exactly the type of thing he'd come to expect from him. He leaned his head against the back of the couch, closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"About your mother" Mai paused, knowing this was a touchy subject. "Have you thought about asking Azula..."

He just shook his head, cutting her off mid-sentence. But it was too late, his thoughts were now squarely back on his sister.

Besting her had been a life long ambition. She'd always been the perfect one. The sibling with everything, while he was always the one cast aside. After their Agni Kai and she'd been taken away, sobbing and incoherent, it became apparent to Zuko that maybe he had been the one "born lucky". Ozai's "approval" was apparently no substitute for a parents love.

Shortly after that, he'd had an offshore prison converted into a mental health hospital. Though he hadn't done it just to accommodate his sister. The wages of war had left many in need of such a place.

Most of the patients had come voluntarily. While others, Such as Azula, had been placed there for fear that they would be a danger to themselves or others. As such, the Earthbenders hired to renovate the prison had left a part of the prison exactly that, still a prison. Though the occupants were still treated as patients, they were watched and guarded around the clock. Azula even more so.

He'd been receiving regular reports on her progress, or rather, lack there of. She seemed to have recovered from her initial breakdown, but whether she'd gotten any "better" was hard to tell. According to the doctors, she was still showing signs of paranoia, and now depression. Though, since she'd not said more than a few words since arriving, an accurate diagnosis was hard to get. Silence was unusual for Azula, and it worried Zuko. In his mind it only meant one of two things. Either she really was too far gone for help, or she was planning something.

He didn't know exactly what had led to her breakdown, and despite everything that had happened between them, he still cared for her. He couldn't make sense of it himself. He _should_ hate her, but he just couldn't. She was still his sister, and things had not always been this way between them.

"No" he said looking back to Mai after a long silence lingered between them. "I doubt she'd help me even if she did have any information."

A knock on his chamber door cut their conversation short.

"Enter" Zuko yelled.

One of the palace guards peeked his head in. "Fire lord, Captain Makato has requested an audience sire"

"I'll be there momentarily" Zuko said waving him off.

Zuko entered the throne room minutes later. Makato, captain of the palace guard ( who'd been promoted to that position on a personal recommendation from Zuko's Uncle Iroh). knelt on the ground and waited for the Fire lord to find his throne.

"What is it Captain" Zuko asked as he settled into the throne.

Makato stood and addressed the Fire lord. "The Kiyoshi warriors have located an encampment of troops still loyal to Ozai held up in a canyon roughly 20 miles southwest of Omashu. There's a peacekeeping force in the area, they should be ready to engage in about 2 days."

Ozai may have been imprisoned, but he still had his loyalists. Luckily, so did Zuko. At the end of the war, all of the Fire nations military forces had been ordered to return to Fire Nation territory. But Zuko still needed to have _some_ forces in foreign lands to deal with exactly this type of situation. It was a difficult situation. Zuko needed to deal with the problem, but at the same time, do so without having to leave a strong military presence in foreign lands.

It was Suki that had recommended a solution. Zuko had come to discover that his father had imprisoned many soldier's whose only crime had been to speak out against the war in the wrong company. As such, nearly 30% of the Fire Nation's prison population turned out to be ex-soldiers labeled as "traitors".

About half these men now served Zuko loyally as part of the peacekeeping forces that, although Fire Nation in origin, served as special detachment's in both the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe militarily.

As for reconnaissance, Suki had offered the services of the Kiyoshi warriors. An offer Zuko gladly accepted. Now, upon finding any loyalist encampments, the Kiyoshi warriors would alert both Zuko and the closest contingent of peacekeeping forces.

"How many" He asked the captain.

"Only around 30 soldiers, nothing one contingent can't handle" He responded.

The doors to the throne room suddenly burst open. Startled, Zuko jumped up and instinctively assumed a fighting stance, as did Makato. A guard came running in, breathing heavily and clutching a note in one hand.

"Fire Lord, Your Highness! It's..." He spat out before bending over, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

Zuko relaxed his stance.

"What is it soldier" Makato demanded.

The soldier continued between breaths."It's...Azula Fire lord... she's...

Zuko exchanged a look with Makato then back to the soldier "What is it, what's happened!" He demanded

"She's..." The guard tried to continue, but paused to catch his breath once more.

"_SHE'S ESCAPED!" _Zuko yelled out.

"No your Highness, she was... she was taken.. kidnapped... this morning! We just got a messenger hawk a few minutes ago."

"By Who!" Zuko demanded

"We... we're still trying to figure that out Fire lord!"

* * *

As this is the first story I've written in a very long time (and my very first attempt at fanfic) any and all criticism and/or reviews are highly appreciated. Thank you for reading.


	2. Chapter 1: The Hospital

Chapter 1

The Hospital

(_One day earlier_)

_Can they really help me?_ He thought as he looked out over the water. He certainly hoped so. He didn't know were else to go and he was getting desperate.

The young man was standing on the bow of a boat heading toward a small island. He was surrounded by a small assortment of other passengers. Some, like himself, seemed lost in thought, most likely going to the Island for help, like himself. While other's seemed in more high spirits, laughing and smiling as they talked amongst themselves. He suspected these people were on the boat going to visit family members and friends who'd been admitted to the hospital on the small island they were nearing.

From what he understood, it had been a prison until recently. Converted by order of the new Fire lord after the recent war. A war he knew nothing about.

He was distracted from his thought's as he noticed two girls on the boat looking over at him. He tried to ignore it, feeling slightly embarrassed at the attention. While he was never exactly the center of attention, he was attractive enough that he did draw his fair share.

He was tall for his age (which he guessed to be around 15 or 16, he couldn't be completely sure) and stood just about 6 feet tall. He was slender but muscular. His short brown unkempt hair hung down just above his blue-green eyes. He had a handsome face, more rugged than delicate, which in itself seemed a bit unusual for someone his age. His clothes were nothing special, just a plain green shirt and brown pants which he'd picked up while wandering around the Earth Kingdom for the last month.

He smiled to himself and let out a small laugh as a thought crossed his mind. _I wonder how interested they'd be in me if they knew I was heading to the mental hospital as a patient?_

Giving a slight sideways glance at the girls, who giggled and went back to talking amongst themselves, another thought entered his head. _I wonder if I have a girlfriend out there somewhere?_

It would seem an unusual thought, but then again, he had a rather unusual problem.

His memories went back only 1 month. The first thing he could recall was waking up in what would appear to be the remains of a forest fire. He had no memory of what had happened, how he'd gotten there, or even who he was. His clothes had been burned off his body and all the hair burned off his head. Yet, not only was he alive, but completely uninjured (unless he could consider his hair a casualty) , not a single burn anywhere on his body.

That wasn't the strangest part. Over the next few days, after waking up in that condition, he'd come to discover a few other strange conditions. Foremost, fire couldn't hurt him. And while it seemed to have saved his life, it also served to bring up several questions he couldn't answer.

He'd spent the next few weeks wandering about the Earth Kingdom, wondering if he had a home, a family, friends... anyone? Unfortunately, over the next few weeks, he found he was a stranger to every village he'd wandered through and every person he met. Along the way, he'd also picked up a name, "Yu", and since he'd yet to think of anything better, had decided to keep it.

His plight received little attention from the townsfolk and villagers whose concerns were focused on mourning their own loses and restoring their communities after the recent end of a war that had lasted one hundred years. An idea Yu still had trouble wrapping his mind around.

Roughly one week ago, he was told about a new hospital in the fire nation that specialized in mental distress. So, with no other ideas, Yu made his way here. On the deck of a boat nearing the dock of a Fire Nation mental hospital.

The boat docked, and Yu exited. A sign greeted him as he walked up the path to the small island's only building.

**Air Nomad Memorial Hospital. **

Despite the sign advertising to the contrary, Yu thought it still looked a little too much like a prison for his taste. Not surprising though, given how recently it had been converted.

As he walked through the front gates and into the courtyard he received a pleasant surprise. While the exterior still very much resembled a prison, the courtyard was far more inviting. This resembled the grounds of a nobles mansion. Quite different from the prison yard yu had half expected to walk into.

There was an elaborate half circle fountain that looked as if it had grown out of the wall at the back of the courtyard (Yu suspected earthbenders had something to do with it). Surrounding the fountain were ornate rock benches. He turned around in the courtyard. Behind him, he could see where the large prison gates had been removed, leaving the courtyard open to the outside. A small contingent of lightly armed guards stood by the gate, and a few more in the courtyard. That seemed a little odd for a hospital, but a war _had_ just ended, so security was probably higher than usual.

As he was contemplating this, he was approached by one of the guards and asked if he needed help. After briefly explaining why he'd come, he was guided to the administrative office on the courtyards southern side. He walked in and saw a large bald man with a beard standing behind a desk talking to some guards. The guards left and headed down on of the inner hallways. The man took notice of Yu and spoke up.

"Can I help you sir"

"Well, that's what I'm here to find out" He responded

The large man motioned to a seat in front of his desk, Yu shook his hand and sat down.

The man's name was Rikus, the administrator of the facility. He stood nearly a foot taller than Yu (who was by no means short himself), had two scars running down his left cheek, a barrel chest and large gut. But despite his appearance, Yu found his attitude very gentle and calm. Yu couldn't explain why, but he felt a genuine compassion from Rikus, and or the first time since he'd woken up in that smoldering forest, Yu felt a twinge of hope.

He explained only what he felt was necessary. Bringing up the fact that he was fireproof would most likely earn him a slightly more permanent stay then he wished. So he left that part, as well as the omission of a few other unsettling abilities, out.

After listening for a bit, Rikus informed Yu that in two days, healers from the northern Water Tribe would be arriving at the hospital. If Yu's memory loss was caused by a physical injury, Rikus assured Yu that they could heal him. Well... probably.

There was a moment of hesitation before Yu agreed. He looked out at the courtyard, scanning the other patients. He took in a deep breath, as a look of concern momentarily appeared on his face. It was something Rikus had come to expect from self committed patients. That moment of doubt before going through with it was something they all seemed to go through. Though, Rikus noted, this particular patient seemed to be especially hesitant, almost worried.

Yu turned back to face Rikus. He looked back down at the desk, the paperwork Rikus had given him sitting in front of him. After another long pause, he looked back up at Rikus and asked a question.

"You're sure they'll be here in two days?" Yu asked

"Positive" Rikus responded with a smile to reassure Yu.

"Two days..." Yu said to himself with a glance back out to the courtyard. "Alright, I guess that'd be safe"

_Safe? _Rikus thought to himself.

"I assure you Mr. uh... Yu. You'll be safe here"

"Oh sorry" Yu responded. "Just kinda talking to myself there."

Rikus found Yu's response a little odd. But after running this place for the last month, he'd become accustomed to odd behavior and didn't think anything more of it.

Sensing the conversation was over, Rikus called over a nurse who proceeded to ask him another series of questions.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Since the new Firelord had given instructions not to turn away anyone that needed help, Yu was given a room free of charge. Lucky, since he had very little money. He was also handed a some rather unflattering hospital clothes. The nurse explained to him that, as a self administered patient, he was free to come and go as he wished.

He was led to his room by one of the guards, a firebender. Not that there was anything different about his uniform to indicate as such, and he'd done no actual firebending. Yu just... sensed it.

It was another odd ability Yu had discovered over the last few weeks. He didn't know why or how, but he could sense the presence of benders. For some, firebenders especially stood out. Even to the point that he could "feel" how strong their ability was. Something that didn't happen with other benders (not with earthbenders at least, he'd yet to meet any other kind).

Just another question he couldn't answer.

_If I can just get my memory back, or even part of it... anything at all! _Yu was thinking as the guard came to a stop. Lost in thought as he was, Yu almost walked right into him.

"This is your room" The guard motioned to the door. Yu looked at the door, then thanked him. The guard didn't reply, and just walked hurriedly back down the hall.

"Hmm, friendly" Yu remarked only to himself as he opened the door and entered his room.

It was late and Yu was tired. Most of the afternoon had been spent talking to the nurse . Which seemed kind of pointless really. He'd come here because he couldn't remember anything. So most of the interview was spent trying to come up with creative ways of saying "I don't know".

Yu sat down on the edge of the bed, laid back, and quickly drifted off to sleep.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

He woke up early and made his way down to the administrative office. Pulling on his green hospital gown as he did. When he entered the office, he saw Rikus behind the desk, just as he was when he had met him yesterday. Rikus informed Yu that the Healer, an old waterbender from the Northern Water Tribe named Yugoda and a few of her pupils, would be arriving first thing tomorrow morning. Yu thanked him, and walked out into the courtyard.

_The earlier the better _Yu thought.

Yu figured he'd just use the day to relax. He went and sat on one of the benches near the left side of large fountain at the back of the courtyard. As he did, something immediately caught his attention. It wasn't something in the courtyard, but beyond it. He felt a presence behind him, on the other side of the wall. A similar sensation to what he felt from the guard the night before, but this was far stronger.

He looked back at the wall, his eyes fixed on a spot next to the fountain. His face contorted into a puzzled expression, surprised by what he "felt". Somewhere, just on the other side of that wall, was the strongest firebender Yu had ever sensed. Not that his experience with firebenders was extensive by any means, but he'd never felt anything nearly this strong before.

He could tell that there were other firebenders grouped around the stronger one. For a moment he wondered why they were gathered in such an intense concentration like that.

There were twelve in total. The strong source was close to him, only a few meters, just on the other side of the wall. The other eleven, from what he could tell, seemed to be spread out in rough semi-circle around the stronger source.

It took him a moment to realize that the other firebenders must be guards keeping watch on the stronger one. It was just an assumption, but it made sense. If you had a patient you feared might hurt themselves or other patients, you probably wouldn't just group them all together. You'd keep them separated, guarded by people who would be able to deal with them or anything they could do. That's why the other firebenders had a parameter formed around this one.

_Must be pretty dangerous, _he thought. _Sure wouldn't want to meet him._

_Not that I really have anything to fear from firebenders, but still... _He thought. Yu was already dreaming up an image of a large, heavily muscled man with a face full of insanity, burning down villages while laughing maniacally. That's just not the kind of person he wanted to meet.

Yu looked away from the wall. trying to ignore the benders but couldn't. He got up to move across the courtyard so he could better concentrate on his own situation... and that's when it happened.

As soon as he stood, a burning sensation began to spread across his body, as if smoldering embers were pressing against his skin. He collapsed to his knees, groaning in pain and holding his chest. He knew what was coming next. He had to stand up. He had to get clear of everyone.

His condition hadn't gone unnoticed by the staff. A nurse and two guards started moving towards him.

"Sir, are you..." One of the guards started in, only to be cut off by Yu's pleading scream.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!"

At first, the staff members simply exchanged looks, thinking this patient may be having a psychotic break. They started moving toward him again. After another few steps, they came to a halt. It wasn't Yu's warning that stopped them. It was his hands, they were glowing.

At this sight, one of the guards put his hand on the nurses shoulder and started pulling her back.

His hands were the color of steel just pulled from a forge, burning white. The glow started moving up his arms and ignited his shirt. Yu yelled out again, this time at everyone in the courtyard.

"BACK OFF!" he screamed, franticly attempting to warn people away from him_. "MOVE!" _

Yu's entire upper body suddenly erupted in flames.

This was not the first time this had happened, but the onset of flames had been far more rapid, and more painful then the last few times. His body was still wracked with pain, but not from the fire. It was as if something were squeezing his heart, crushing the life from it. His vision, already obscured by the fire, began to blur.

Still on his knees, Yu forced himself to stand. He had to stop this somehow, the pain had never been this intense. He stumbled toward the fountain. Around him, he could hear patients and hospital staff screaming and fleeing in panic. He fell and caught the side of the fountain, then threw himself into it. The water extinguished the flames as steam erupted from the water all around him.

The fire was out, the pain receded. Yu steadied himself and took a deep breath. He'd not wanted anyone to witness this. He knew there'd be questions, none of which he could answer. This had been the fourth time his body self-ignited. The intensity of the fire had been no different, so why had the pain been substantially worse Yu wondered.

_I thought I had more time _Yu thought. _I wouldn't of come here if I thought it was going to happen again so soon._

His thought's were cut short by another sudden surge of pain. Yu was brought back to his knees, submerging him waste deep in the steaming water of the fountain.

Then, Yu exploded.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

_moments earlier..._

A girl in a red hospital gown was sitting on one of the benches just to the left side of a fountain. Steel shackles enclosed her hands. Her feet attached to one another by a short length of chain that allowed her to walk normally, but prevented her from running, or from fighting. This was the only way they'd let her into the hospitals inner courtyard. Even with that precaution, she was heavily guarded while out of her room. Eleven guards hung close to her, giving her room, but staying positioned in a rough semicircle around her.

She looked up at the windowless walls of the inner courtyard, once again contemplating escape. Her golden eyes lowered and closed into menacing slits as she scanned the guards surrounding her.

If she'd wanted, she could probably take out a few of them, but handicapped as she was, it would prove futile and she knew it.

She'd planned it out several times, in several ways, but every time she ran through it in her head, she just couldn't make an escape work!

Things hadn't always been like this. Her plans used to be flawless. Her life used to be flawless. But not now. Now things were different. Her plans had failed her, her friends had turned on her. Her father abandoned her. And her brother, the person that had taken everything from her, had sent her here as a final humiliation.

She could just imagine him, her dear brother, sitting on his throne, on _her _throne, just laughing. He had everything she'd worked for, everything she deserved.

_Including their mother's love..._

She hated thinking about her mother, and it had been happening more and more frequently. And not just thinking about her either...

She pushed the thought out of her mind, distracting herself by concentrating her thoughts back on her brother. Something else she'd been doing a lot of.

Over the last month, she'd begun to focus her anger on the one person she blamed for her current situation. A month spent seething and obsessing. Everything that had gone wrong came back to that one person. This was all his fault, her brother... Zuko.

She should be on a throne right now, instead she was in chains. Zuko was responsible for that. He'd shown up at her coronation and stole her kingdom. Her friends had even betrayed her, to save _him_! He'd even turned on their entire nation by helping the Avatar strip their father of his power. Now, instead of seeing his betrayal for what it was and abhorring his treachery, the Fire Nation now praised him. While she was treated as the villain... seen as a monster.

_Just like their mother had._

Azula cringed, pursed her lips and closed her eyes tightly, fighting back tears before they could form. That last thought snuck up on her.

Her concentration suddenly broke. She thought she heard shouting, muffled and barely audible. She realized that the shouting was coming from the other side of the wall. She looked up to see if her guards had noticed. No, they hadn't. The distance between them was just enough that she was the only one aware that something was happening on the other side of the wall. In the hospitals entrance courtyard.

She tilted her head up, listening more intently this time. There was another muffled yell, then possibly several. There seemed to be a full scale panic going on outside. The low murmur of dampened yells continued. Her eyes moved to the fountain, and noticed a sudden ripple move through the water, as though something large had been thrown in on the other side. The fountains, as she knew, were connected through the wall. She'd investigated it upon her arrival to see if she could use that to her advantage, but to no avail. While there were small openings allowing water to flow through from both sides, several grates made passing anything between the courtyards impossible.

Just after the ripples made their way across the fountains surface, the water started to steam. This garnered the attention of her guards. Two of them started moving in her direction., Something serious seemed to be happening on the other side. The steam rising from the fountain seemed ominous. She stood up and took a few steps back just as the fountain exploded.

She rolled behind the bench, using it to shield herself. From behind it, she could hear a sound very familiar to her, the roar of intense flames. She could feel the heat on her skin, and thought she could hear someone screaming. Smoke filled the inner courtyard, things were in chaos, something she knew how to take advantage of. Under the cover of smoke, she moved toward breach in the wall and whatever had caused it. This may be the opportunity she'd been waiting for.

----------------

In the chaos caused by the explosion, another unusual incident went unnoticed. At the back of the prison yard, farthest away and fenced off from the fountain. Three people, an old woman wearing a red hospital gown and her two guards, all three waterbenders, had suddenly fallen unconscious at the same moment the fountain exploded.

They started coming too in only a few moments, but had no idea what had happened. One of the guards, already to his feet, moved to the old woman to make sure she was alright.

"Hama" he said gently "Hama, can you hear me?"

The old woman didn't say anything, but looked up at him and gave a curt nod. Her other guard was by her side and held her by the hand (this particular patient was only required to wear shackles during the full moon) as she helped Hama steady herself. The old woman looked at her guards, noting the concern in their eyes, though realizing it wasn't for her.

"You felt it too then" She said quietly " Just for a moment, it was like a part of myself... part of my spirit, went missing."

Both guards looked at each other, not sure what to say. Though it was clear by the look on their faces, that they'd felt the same thing.

----------------

Azula made her way through the smoke and debris, toward the heat. It was a risk, but it was also her only way out. As she got closer to the fire, the smoke cleared, being pushed outward and away from whatever was producing it.

Standing where the fountain had been was a man... seemingly made of fire.

No, She realized, not made of fire, but covered in it. He was on his knees and everything from the waste up was burning. She noticed though, with great interest, that his body seemed undamaged. He was wrapped in fire, but his skin didn't appear to be burning.

Was_ he_ the source of the explosion she wondered? From what she saw, she had to assume he was.

The fire on his body dissipated and he collapsed on the ground. For a moment, he didn't move, though he still seemed to be breathing.

Amazingly, he had no burns on his body Even his hair, which was ablaze just a moment ago, was untouched . As far as she could tell, this person was somehow able to withstand fire.

He wasn't a firebender, at least not a normal one, of that she was sure. This was something different. Possibly something she could use.

He opened his eyes and slowly started to stand. By the look on his face, he seemed to be suffering more from shock than pain. He looked down at his hands and body. Either checking for damage or maybe to see if he was still on fire. Confusion replaced shock. After gauging his reaction, Azula had to assume that whatever had just happened was most likely unintentional. Meaning that, whoever this was, he wasn't in control his abilities.

A slight smile crossed her face. For the first time since she'd been sent here, since she'd lost everything, she felt a familiar confidence surface within her.

Azula had a plan.


	3. Chapter 2: The Gaang

Chapter 2

The Gaang

(moments earlier that same morning)

"You're sure this is the last one" Sokka said, laying back in Appa's saddle, talking to Aang.

"Sokka, don't tell me you're actually complaining about free food and admiration" Katara said with amusement.

"Look" Sokka replied as he sat up "I like a good celebration as much as the next guy, buuut after a month straight! I gotta tell ya, it gets a little old."

"Why didn't we just use one of Zuko's airships? "Toph added "It would be a lot more comfortable than sitting in this thing" She said pounding her fist on the side of Appa's saddle. "That way I could at least see around the ship!"

"You know Zuko wants to keep any Fire Nation presence out of the other nations right now." Katara said sitting next to Aang riding on top of Appa's head, looking back at Toph. "It's a sensitive time Toph. Just because Zuko declared peace, doesn't mean people have forgiven the Fire Nation."

"Well, he could of at least come along. It feels weird doing this without Zuko." Toph responded "Besides, that jerk still owes me a field trip!"

"Ah, he's pretty busy Firelording now" Sokka added "Besides, wouldn't it be a little odd for Aang to be celebrating his victory over the Fire lord while he's sitting next to the Fire lord?"

For the last month, Aang, Katara, Sokka and Toph, along with Appa and Momo, had been attending Victory celebration after celebration. It seemed that almost every village, town and city around the world wanted the Avatar and his friends to attend as guests of honor. While it was fun at first, after the first two weeks or so, it began to feel more like a chore. At the beginning of this last week, Sokka had suggested that they ask Zuko to start a new war just so they could go home early.

Appa was currently flying over the Earth Kingdom, Heading toward the city of Chin. It was a bit ironic that the last city they would visit on their "victory tour" was the same city that had put Aang on trial several months ago. Chin had also rescheduled their new "Avatar day" to coincide with todays celebration.

It also put them at a good stopping point for their journey. Toph's hometown of GaoLing was only a short way from Chin. And, despite a rather tumultuous relationship with her parents, Toph looked forward to seeing them again. Chin was also far enough south that Sokka and Katara could finally go home and see their family and friends again.

Sokka looked out at the passing clouds over the side of Appa's saddle. Though he couldn't see it, he knew Kiyoshi Island was nearby.

"...I miss Suki" He said wistfully, putting his arms up under his chin and resting them on the side of Appa's saddle. Though he knew she wasn't on her home island, (she was currently somewhere in the Earth Kingdom) it still served to remind him of her.

"Don't worry Sokka, by this time tomorrow we'll be done and you'll be able to go see her again" Katara added.

Katara was sitting on top of Appa's head, next to Aang who was holding Appa's reins. Aang had a slight smile on his face and seemed to be staring off into the distance.

"You've been awfully quiet, what are you thinking about" Katara asked

"I'm just enjoying how much easier it is to fly around when you don't have to constantly fight or escape war balloons and battleships." He took in a deep breath and exhaled, a large smile spread across his face. "The sky feels so peaceful right now... It's almost like the last year never happened."

She leaned in closer, resting her head on his shoulder and whispered in his ear "It wasn't all bad"

Aang turned his head and met her gaze. They looked at each other for a moment, then kissed.

"Ewww" Sokka exclaimed, mocking disgust. "Do you guys have to do that right in front of me"

"They're kissing again, aren't they" Toph asked.

"Don't even start Sokka, you and Suki..." Katara started to reply.

"Yeah, but that's different." Sokka retorted "Brothers aren't supposed to see that kind of stuff"

"It's times like this I can really appreciate being blind." Toph added dryly as the others laughed.

A loud bellow from Appa silenced everyone.

"Don't worry buddy, were almost there" Aang said to his air bison while laughing.

His laughter was suddenly cut short as katara's eyes rolled back in her head and she began to slide off Appa!

_"KATARA!" _Aang screamed, grabbing her as she started falling toward the outside of Appa's head. Just as he caught her hand, his vision started to blur and the world seemed to spin wildly around him. His grip loosened on Katara's wrist. He was still conscious, but felt like he'd been drugged. He tried his best to keep his grip on Katara, but felt his strength leaving him.

Something suddenly tugged at the back of his robes. The jolt of being yanked back upright clearing his head. He looked back toward Katara and saw Sokka, one arm around his sister and the other holding the back of his robes. As his head cleared, he realized Sokka must have jumped down and grabbed the two of them just as they started to loose consciousness.

Sokka's mouth was moving, but for a moment, Aang couldn't hear him. Then slowly, the sound of his voice slowly filled the air.

"...appening! Aang... Katara... can you hear me!"

Aang heard Toph behind him, still up in Appas saddle, yelling down to them. "Whats going on! What happened."

Sokka grabbed Appa's reigns, with a snap and a "yip yip", he directed the air bison toward the ground.

"It's ok now Toph... I think" Sokka said, looking back and forth between his sister and Aang. _Must be a bender thing_, He thought, wondering what had just happened. _But then why was Toph alright? This didn't make any sense._

Appa landed, and with Sokka's help, Aang and a still disoriented Katara got down from the bison.

Katara sat on the ground, Aang kneeling down, holding her.

She opened her eyes and lifted her hand to her head. She shook her head, then looked up at Aang

"I'm okay, it's past now" she said, moving her hand from her forehead and grabbing Aang's hand. She took a deep breath, then looked up at him with a confused look on her face. "Did that seem... familiar to you." Katara asked him. "Not the blackout, but..."

"Yeah, It kinda felt like..." Aang stopped, giving a brief glance toward Sokka.

"What are you guys talking about?" Sokka asked, looking back and forth between them.

Toph jumped down from Appa and joined the group. "Will someone please tell me what's going on?"

Katara and Aang looked at each other for a moment, then shifted their gaze back to Sokka. Both of them looking concerned and hesitant, as though there was something they were afraid to tell him.

Sokka furled his brow, exchanging looks with them "Why are you looking at me like that. What is it."

Katara was the first to speak. "Just before I fainted, it felt like... like my bending went away"

"You're bending, but what does..." Sokka started to ask.

"It felt like what happened when we were up north" Aang continued "When Zhao killed the.." Aang paused as he saw Sokka's jaw drop and a look of shock swept over his face.

"You mean... Yue" Sokka started to say, panic entering his voice.

"No Sokka I'm sure the Moon spirit's fine" Aang hurriedly added.

"Sokka look" Katara interjected. She opened the flask on her hip and, with a motion of her hand, water streamed out and circled through the air. "If something had happened I couldn't waterbend." With another motion, the water returned to her flask and she capped it. "I'm sure everythings fine. It was only for a moment." Katara paused trying to think of something else to help to reassure her brother "I'm sure there's an explanation, we just..."

_We just what?_ She thought. _I don't even know what happened._ And in reality, she was just as worried that something may have happened to the moon spirit as Sokka was.

"But then why did you two pass out?" Sokka asked calmer now, Katara's display seemed to have helped calm him. "That didn't happen last time?"

Katara and Aang once again looked at each other. Neither had an answer.

"Aang" Sokka said, looking over to him. "Can't you talk to Yue? You know, hop into the spirit world or something"

"It's not that easy Sokka" Aang replied. "I could probably contact her if there were a full moon, or if I was at the spirit oasis, but right now... no, I'm sorry Sokka."

Sokka crossed his arms, putting one hand under his chin, and started pacing.

"Sooo" Toph, who had been trying to follow the conversation, spoke up." Were not going to the party then?"

Sokka stopped pacing. He was still starring out in front of him, thinking over their options. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he looked back up, he met his friends gaze and spoke.

"No, well go" Sokka said frankly, surprising the others.

"Sokka, we really..." Katara started in, but Sokka interrupted.

"From here, It would take about two weeks to reach the north pole, and the next full moon's not for a week and a half. Were not going to learn anything just sitting around here, and we might cause a small panic if the Avatar suddenly skipped out on his own celebration party. For now, we should stick to the plan and attend the party. Once it's over we can start trying to figure this out."

Aang was about to protest, but Sokka was right. While he was just as worried as Sokka, he had to admit that there was nothing they could really do about it now. He checked with Katara again, making sure she was ok while Toph and Sokka climbed back on Appa.

Aang pulled Katara in closer to him. They stood with their faces only a few inches away, foreheads touching. Aang looked in her eyes and knew she had the same reservations he had. Katara took a deep breath and spoke softly, so only he could hear.

"Somethings wrong." She said quietly for only him to hear. "You felt it too. didn't you"

"I don't know what's happening, but I've got a really bad feeling about this." She continued. "Aang, I'm worried. I'm really worried."

He couldn't think of anything to say to reassure her. So instead he said nothing and just hugged her tightly.

Sokka and Toph had settled back into Appa's saddle. Sokka, still looking at Aang and Katara, spoke quietly to Toph

"Sorry Toph, I think the family reunions are gonna have to wait."


	4. Chapter 3: Princess and the Pawn

Chapter 3

Princess and the Pawn

_Ok... that was new!_ Yu thought while looking at his hands, bewildered as to what just happened. _The lighting on fire thing I've gotten used to... or at least come to expect. But this?_

His mind was racing. He'd come here to find help, to get some answers. The last thing he wanted was even more problems. _Had I hurt anyone_ he thought. _How much worse is this going to get?_

Another thought hit him. He quickly looked down... a bit of relief washed over him. His pants were still there, mostly. Luckily, it seemed being waste deep in the fountain had at least saved him some dignity.

_Well, at least I've got one thing gong for me today_ He thought.

"By the dumbfounded look of confusion on your face, I'll assume that little incident was by no means intentional"

The voice came from his left. He looked up and saw a girl in a red hospital robe, hands completely sealed in robust metal shackles. Her long dark brown hair spilled over her shoulders, uneven strands of hair hung over her piercing golden yellow eyes.

As soon as their eyes locked, he couldn't help but feel like a meadow vole caught in the hungry gaze of a hawk. So vastly different from the girls he'd noticed looking at him on the boat, her eyes held no hint of admiration or affection. She stared down at him, one eyebrow slightly raised, examining him with the same apparent consideration a child might give to an insect before adding it to their bug collection.

So taken aback by her steely gaze, and strill recovering both mentally and physically from the indecent only moments ago, he'd yet to acknowledge a nagging whisper at the back of his mind. As his head cleared and his senses regained their full acuity, the realization of who this was finally hit home.

The ridiculously strong firebender that had caught his attention just before he caught on fire and the beautiful young girl now standing before him... were the same person.

His mouth fell open as he took in a quick, surprised breath and his eyes widened in disbelief. She seemed to take a certain satisfaction and enjoyment in his the reaction. Her eyes narrowed as a slight smile formed on her lips.

He hadn't realized it, but he'd been starring at her wordlessly for the last few moments.

Her almost imperceptible smile faded as she addressed him again.

"Unless you wish to end up in a pair of these" she said, holding up her shackle encased hands, "You will do as I say".

The smoke and dust was starting to clear, Yu could hear the guards moving in. His body still ached, but he pushed himself to stand. Human silhouettes started to materialize through the clearing smoke. Everything seemed a blur, he didn't know what to do. He looked to his left, at the girl in the red hospital gown and shackles. She just looked back, awaiting a response.

He quickly weighed his options (or more to the point, his lack thereof).

With a power that he could neither explain or control, he'd just caused major damage to a hospital that specialized in treating war trauma. Somehow, he didn't think a simple "Sorry" was going to be enough to get him out of this.

His eyes darted between the girl and shadowy figures moving in the smoke, closing in around them. He had no desire to become a permanent resident here, but something about this girl unnerved him. Should he really put his fate in the hands of a mentally unstable overpowered firebender? More to the point, did he really have a choice?

"Over here, there's someone with him" A few guards stepped out of the hazy gray shroud of dust and debris. Three guards stood shoulder to shoulder, weapons drawn.

"Uh... sorry" Yu stammered out. The guards started to cautiously move towards him.

_Well, that worked about as well as I expected._ Yu thought. _So much for plan A, now time for plan B_.

He moved toward the girl. The guards ordered him to stop but seemed to back off a bit as Yu positioned himself next her. Their attention fell away from him and seemed to focus completely on her. Their eyes widened as what almost seemed like panic washed acrossed their collective faces. They looked back and forth at each other, a whispered argument breaking out amongst them.

More personal started coming into view now that the smoke was clearing. Panic started to grip at Yu. They were surrounded.

She gave him a slight sideways glance, then looked around at the surrounding guards. What was she planning? How in the world could she help him out of this. How could she be so calm!

Azula hung her head forward, concealing a crooked smile on her face. Her hair fell forward, hiding her face from the guards.

She spoke again, quietly this time,

"Threaten me" She said simply.

"What?" Yu responded, confused.

"Put your arm around my neck and threaten me" She said, more forcefully this time, annoyance clearly making it's way into her voice. "

He still didn't understand, but he didn't have time to argue. He did what she said. Moving in behind her and slipping on arm around her neck. Azula flinched as he did so, feeling her skin crawl in disgust as she begrudgingly allowed a peasant touch her. She cursed her brother under for putting her in this situation.

Yu stood a head taller then her, as such his view of the approaching guards was unobstructed. The guards immediately came to a stop. They once again exchanged looks with each other. Yu could hear more shushed arguing amongst them.

"Alright... uh, back off or... else" Yu stammered out. The guards didn't seem terribly impressed. They stopped advancing on him, but made no effort to back off either. Yu started getting even more nervous. This isn't going to work he thought, his grip around the girls neck loosening slightly.

Sensing his hesitation, she snapped at him under her breath "Moron, keep up the act or we'll both be stuck in here! And at least make an attempt to sound a bit more threatening!"

He tightened his hold on her once again. He looked back up at the guards and tried his best to sound angry "Yeah, uh.. just back off or the girl gets it". He didn't know how convincing he'd been, but the guards finally started backing off slowly. This girl seemed important enough that they weren't going to risk it.

"You're a terrible liar" she said quietly, her lips barely moving "Is that really as intimidating as you can be?"

"Sorry. I'm new to this" he responded, whispering in her ear.

"Well then, lucky for you, I'm not" She responded.

Well, that sure didn't make him any more comfortable.

She once again quietly addressed Yu. "Start moving toward the front gate, make sure they don't close it. You need to move towards the docks and board the boat, it's the only way off the island"

"Alright" Yu yelled out. "Move away from the gate and she doesn't get hurt. Just let me down to the boat, and I'll let her go"

The guards looked at each other, hesitating for a moment, but started clearing a path to the gate. Azula smiled to herself once again, knowing that none of the guards here would dare make a move that might endanger one of the royal family... even if she was considered a criminal. On top of that, she knew they thought she was crazy. She'd do the best to use that to her advantage. As they moved, she walked with an unnatural stilted pace, hoping to come across as 'out of it' as possible.

Just out of earshot of Yu and his hostage, one guard addressed the other next to him "Why is the princess just standing there? Can't she just take him on her own. I mean..."

The other guard leaned in, not taking his eyes off the princess or the man holding her. "You know she's not exactly... right anymore". To which the guard simply responded with a nod.

The crowd in the courtyard split as Yu moved through it with his hostage. They were almost out the front gate when guards slowly started closing the distance between them.

He had gotten to the path, the guards now only on one side of him. But that was the only advantage to the situation. The guards seemed to be growing more confident, reading the panic on his face and closing the gap between them more quickly now.

_There's no way this'll work_ Yu thought starting to panic _they can tell I'm bluffing. They'll figure out I can't control my power. They'll know I can't do anything to stop them..._

"Stand in front of me" He heard the girl whisper to him almost inaudibly, seeming to sense his encroaching panic.

This time Yu did as she said without question. He spun them around, putting himself between the guards and Azula.

"Turn around and face them, make sure your body is blocking their view of me" she said "Warn them to back off"

Yu did so. Standing with his back to her, he yelled a warning at the guards. Though he doubted it would do any good. Then fire wrapped around his body again. His panic turned to confusion. There'd been none of the warning signs at all this time, no pain, his hands hadn't started glowing, how did...

Then he felt it, the breath on his back. He hadn't ignited again, this was her doing. Even though she couldn't use her hands or feet, she was exhaling fire on his back, the flames wrapping around his torso and engulfing his upper body in fire, making it seem that he was once again bursting into flames.

Positioned between her and the guards, they couldn't see her involvement in the charade.

It was only a brief burst of flame, but apparently enough to cause the guards to stop their advance.

With the guards now convinced that Yu was a real danger, and unwilling to allow their most important patient to get hurt, they backed away from Yu once again.

He resumed his position behind her, his arm back around her neck. He looked down at the back of her head. _Alright, how did she know..._ He started thinking before she interupted.

"Your turn now. Demand that the crew leave the boat. Then make your way to it." She said in a low whisper. Then, almost as an afterthought, asked "Can you swim?"

"Uh, yeah" Yu responded, wondering what that had to do with her plan.

"Good" She said simply.

Yu yelled his demands at the guards now following them at a greater distance.

"Ready the boat and get the crew off, When I make landfall I'll let her go."

His latest fire display, courtesy of his willing hostage, had given them more leverage. A guard, giving them a wide berth, ran past toward the boat dock.

They approached the islands only boat dock with a contingent of guards following in step behind them. The small boats crew was already waiting just off the dock, the guard that had run ahead standing in front of them, his weapon drawn.

_Protecting them from me_ Yu thought. With that in his head, he gravity of the situation settled in on him. He'd come here for help in recovering his memory. Hoping that doing so would shed light on his bizarre talents, his fire resistance, his ability to sense benders, and his unfortunate tendency to burst into flames.

Now here he was. Being followed by a battalion of guards, about to steal a boat and taking with him a hostage. Granted, that part was actually his hostage's idea, though that didn't really make him feel any better about it.

As they boarded the ship, Yu kicked the plank into the water and, with all the strength he could muster, slowly shoved the boat just far enough away from the dock that no one could jump to it. Then, he quickly moved up to the pilothouse.

The boat, a small coal burning military transport, had already been prepared to leave. Yu pulled a lever and the boat lurched forward. As they set off the island heading for the mainland, Yu looked back one last time and shook his head. Wondering what he'd just gotten himself into.

"Ok, now what" Yu asked the girl standing next to him.

"Just keep heading straight west" She said

"They're going to send a messenger hawk" Yu said. "They'll catch us as soon as we..."

"I'm counting on it" She said coldly, cutting him off.

As if on cue, Yu saw a hawk flying high above the boat and heading toward the mainland.

Despite her assurance that this was part of her plan, Yu was still worried He didn't see how they were going to make landfall without half the Fire Nation militia waiting for them. He looked over at her , she didn't seem worried at all. For some reason, that calmed him a bit. She'd gotten them this far, might as well trust her.

They were within a mile of the shore when he noticed 3 large ships closing in from the south.

"Perfect" Azula said auspiciously, looking at the ships in the distance. Azula knew there was a military base only a few miles south of the boat landing they were headed for. And, just as she'd expected, the hospital guards also sent messenger hawk to that base with the hopes of catching them before they landed.

"Stop the boat" She ordered Yu.

The ships were still a distance off. If they hurried they could still make landfall before the small fleet intercepted them. Yu hesitated a moment wondering what she was planning now. Then he pulled the ships control lever to full stop. No reason to stop listening to her now.

"Follow me" She barked at Yu.

They went blow deck, to the engine room. With her shackled hands she motioned toward a few wooden barrels filled with coal.

"Dump those on the ground" She commanded.

"Where?" Yu asked

"On the floor, then seal the lids on and bring them to the deck." she glanced around then addedl. "Grab that rope while your at it" motioning with her head to some rope hanging on the wall.

Yu was past questioning her and did as she asked. In a few minutes he had both barrels empty and on deck. Azula told him to tie the barrels together, then she went back below deck. As he did, he glanced back at the larger ships slowly approaching them from the south.

_I really hope she knows what she's doing_ he thought.

The girl Suddenly came running up from the engine room. Followed by a raging fire chasing up the stairs behind her. It took him a second to piece together what had happened.

She must have ignited the coal. The boat wouldn't last long.

That's what the barrels were for, he realized. A makeshift raft. She'd never intended on making landfall in this boat. That's when he remembered what she'd asked him earlier

_Can you swim?_Just how far ahead did she have this planned out he wondered?

He hefted the barrel raft up and over the side of the boat. Azula jumped overboard and, despite the heavy shackles and ankle chains, landed gracefully on top of the barrels. Yu paused for a second, impressed.

_Who was this girl?_

He didn't have long to stand and admire her. The fire was consuming the boat quickly. Yu jumped over the side, splashing into the water beside Azula's barrel raft.

Azula motioned her head toward the shore, in a direction that would keep the burning boat between them and the fleet, covering there escape route.

"That's where we're headed" She announced.

"Those warships may be big, but they're slow. It'll take about 20 minutes for them to get here, and when they do they'll find nothing but a half sunk burning wreck. With luck, they'll think we went down with the ship"

She turned her attention to Yu and continued, allowing a threating edge to steal into her voice."You're job is to get us to shore before they arrive. Now start swimming."


	5. Chapter 4: A Sister Lost

Chapter 4

A Sister Lost

Mai sat next to an empty throne, watching Zuko, dressed in full Fire lord regalia, silently pacing back and forth in front of her.

It had only been a few hours since he'd gotten the message about Azula, but as of yet, he'd received no additional news, and he was becoming increasingly impatient.

He kept pacing and eying the door, hoping that any moment it would open and he'd receive news that everything was under control, the culprit had been captured and Azula was back at the hospital where she should be.

_Where she needed to be. _

Unfortunately, as with anything involving Azula, he had a sneaking suspicion that this was bound to get _more_ complicated, not less. So, as much as he wanted to believe it, deep down he knew that his hope for a simple and quick resolution to this problem was nothing more than wishful thinking.

He heard footfalls coming his way from just outside the throne room. Too eager to wait, he ran over to the doors and threw them open. Makato, Captain of the castle guards, stood just on the other side holding a scroll sealed by a black ribbon.

He grabbed the note from his hand and quickly unfurled it.

According to the letter, someone had attacked the hospital, grabbed Azula in the ensuing confusion, then dragged her down to the boat dock while threatening to harm her if anyone attempted to stop him. More disturbing to Zuko was a description of Azula being completely listless and practically catatonic during the event. She'd apparently not fought back or even shown much response to the whole situation.

As Zuko continued to read, a cold sweat broke out all over him. He read the last half over again, making sure he'd read it correctly.

The boat she'd been taken on had caught fire and sunk before making it to shore. Azula was in heavy shackles and chains, and none of the boats that intercepted the burning ship had seen anyone escaping in the water. Both she and her captor were presumed dead.

He let the note fall from his hand and took a moment to let the thought settle on him. He looked up to his throne, the fires that once surrounded it no longer burned. Those fires had always been a way to separate the Fire lord from his subjects, physically emphasizing the barrier between them. Extinguishing them had been his first change to the throne room. But now, memories of those fires and this room surfaced in his mind.

His relationship with his sister had not always been so antagonistic. In fact, when they were very young, they had almost been inseparable. Looking around the throne room now, he remembered the day that started to change.

--------------------------------

He had recently turned 7, Azula was 5. They were sitting outside the throne room, waiting for their parents. Azula, sitting next to him, had fallen asleep with her head resting on his shoulder. Fire lord Azulon, their grandfather, was away and currently meeting with their uncle General Iroh. The throne room was empty so he didn't understand why they were even there. His Mother had brought them with after being summoned by their father. When they arrived, he seemed angry that she'd brought the children with her and he told them to wait outside while they talked in the throne room, alone.

He started to drift to sleep himself when he heard arguing from the other side of the door. The commotion snapped him back awake, his sudden shift in posture waking Azula as well. As she rubbed her eyes, Zuko jumped to his feet and walked to the door, trying to listen in on what was being said. Azula came running up behind him.

"Zuzu, you shouldn't do that." she said worriedly from behind him "Dad'll get angry".

"Don't be such a chickentoad, I just want to know what they're yelling about"

Zuko leaned against the door, his ear pressed against it.

_"...will not waste my time. The boy is useless to me. Fortunately, Azula..."_

He reeled back from the door, stumbling back a few steps as if he'd been hit. His breath caught in his throat and his mind was swimming.

Had his father really just said that? He felt tears running down his face before he even realized he was crying. He turned away from the door and saw Azula standing in front of him. Her eyes were wide, looking as if she might cry herself. She hadn't heard what was said beyond the door, her reaction was for her brother. Before Zuko could say anything, she hugged him tightly.

At that moment, the throne room doors burst open and Ozai emerged. His father's figure silhouetted against the flames in the throne room loomed above him, a fearsome black phantom. Though gone as soon as Zuko's tear blurred vision adjusted to the sudden change in light, it was an image that would stay with him for years.

Anger flashed in his eyes when he saw them huddled together. Azula let go of him and shrunk behind her brother as if she could hide from her father's piercing glare. Ozai grabbed her hand and pulled her away from Zuko, dragging her down the hall as he left.

Ursa exited behind Ozai, her face heavy with worry and concern. She raised her hand and opened her mouth, about to say something, then stopped. She pulled her hand back and looked down at Zuko. She knelt next to him, putting her hands on his shoulder's and opened her mouth to speak. Just as she did, Ozai stopped and yelled back to her over his shoulder.

"If you wish to coddle someone, do so with Zuko!" He said, doing nothing to hide his indignation.

With that, he shifted his gaze down at Azula for a moment and proceed down the hallway, out of sight.

--------------------------------

Now, here he stood. In that same throne room his parents had had that argument in so long ago. It was a memory that had plagued him for years. It was in that moment that his obsessive drive to please his father had been born. He was past that though. Today, that memory came to mind for entirely different reasons.

It was the last time his sister ever hugged him. The last time he could ever truly remember _feeling_ like brother and sister.

So much had happened between them since then. Their relationship slowly degraded from that day on. It was minor at first. She started to grow distant, stopped playing with him as much. Then, in time, it got worse. In only a few short years, he'd lost a sister and gained a rival.

It wasn't just pity that had made Zuko send his sister to a hospital instead of prison. There was more to it than that. Part of it was a paper thin hope that, someday, maybe there was a chance they could have that kind of relationship again. That maybe someday he could get his sister back.

Now that was impossible.

He felt a tear drip off his chin and hit his hand.

While lost in thought, he hadn't noticed Mai walk over beside him and pick the letter up.

"Please tell me you're not crying about this?" Mai said flatly "A boat fire, really? I doubt Azula would let herself die in something so... boring".

He turned to look at her. His eyes clearing. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts as a slight smile adorned his face. Mai was exactly right. Of course she wasn't dead, not Azula, not from something like _that_.

This is exactly why he loved her, exactly why he needed her. While Zuko had a bad habit of reacting on his emotions before thinking things through. She was the exact opposite. It wasn't that she was emotionless, she just never let it get the better of her. In that way, she was the perfect balance for him.

"In fact" she continued "She probably lit the boat on fire herself"

She tilted her head and raised one eyebrow, a smile appeared on her face."C'mon, you didn't really believe this, did you?" She said, holding the note up to Zuko.

He smiled nodded as if to say "Thank you" in response.

He turned back to address the captain.

"Get two airships ready to go immediately"

"Your High..." The guard started to answer, possibly wondering where he was going. Zuko cut him off before he could finish.

"I'm heading to the hospital. I want to see it myself. And I have a few questions I'd like to ask firsthand." Zuko looked the captain in the eyes and continued "You're taking the second airship. I'll explain on the way"

"Yes Fire lord" The captain responded. He started to turn around when Zuko made one more command.

"Also... have my sister's armor put on board you're ship... you'll need the scent."

The captain gave him a briefly confused look, then turned and moved quickly down the hallway, shouting out commands to the other soldiers.

He felt Mai's hand on his shoulder. He turned around, already knowing what she was going to say.

"I know, I should let the soldiers take care of this." He said to her. "I'll leave the search to them, but I just need to see it for myself. See if I can figure out what she's planning. Plus, I want to ask about this supposed "kidnapper" of hers."

"So you don't believe that part either" She said, knowing the question didn't really need to be asked.

"It's Azula." He responded matter of factly.

"I need you to stay here to send out notices to anyone she might have a reason to go after. Aang, Ty Lee, my uncle, anyone you can think of, but try to keep it low key. The less people that know about this the better... At least for now."

He kissed her and quickly left the throne room. She watched him walk down the hallway until the throne room doors closed and blocked her view of him. She stood there for a moment, looking around the now empty room.

"Stay here...send out letters?" She sighed "Gee, how exciting."


	6. Chapter 5: A Change of Plans

Chapter 5

A Change of Plans

"So, what are you anyway?" She asked him.

It was the first question she'd asked him since they'd made landfall. As soon as they reached shore, she'd jumped from the poorly tied together barrel raft and started moving through the woods. Not knowing what else to do, Yu followed behind her. Her leg chains and shackles made moving through the thick brush slow, though not as much as he would have assumed. He was once again surprised by how easily she was able to move in her restraints.

Earlier, he tried to suggest she ride piggyback, but the look he received halfway through that proposal had shut him up until now.

"Uh... I'm Yu" He stammered out, a little surprised by the question after such a prolonged silence.

She stopped and turned to look at him, one eyebrow raised.

"I think you're a little confused"

Yu shook his head a bit. Why did I stick with this name he wondered. It wasn't the first time in the last month he regretted his decision to keep this name.

"No, I didn't mean "you"." he said while motioning his hands at her. "It's my name, Yu"

"Perhaps I wasn't speaking clearly enough" She said, becoming agitated. "I didn't ask for your name, nor do I care. I'm curious as to _what_ you are. You're not a firebender, at least like none I've ever seen."

"Oh that... well, I don't... It's a bit complicated"

"It'll wait then" She said while turning and continuing to move again. This wasn't the time for drawn out discussions. Azula knew her brother would be hearing about her escape anytime now, if he hadn't already. She'd need to find out more about this "Yu" later.

It's wasn't that she had any particular interest in him. She simply needed to know how useful he might be. Being fireproof was a nice trick, but it didn't do her much good. Being a walking firebomb was equally useless if, as she assumed, he had no ability to control it.

She stole a glance at her shackled hands while making a quick hop over a fallen tree, her leg irons making any sort of acrobatics that much more difficult. If anything, she thought, I'll at least need to keep him around until I can get these off.

-----------------------------------

A few hours had passed when something caught Azula's attention. Through the trees to her left was what look like a small cabin. She changed direction and moved toward it. Yu followed.

The tree's opened into a clearing. The remains of a shallow rock wall partly surrounded the tiny shack, which was nothing more than a single room. Half the thatched roof was missing, no glass remained in the windows (if there ever was any in the first place), and the entire shack leaned a bit to the side. It had obviously not been occupied for years.

"Why'd we stop here?" Yu asked

Azula looked down at her shackles, then back up to the cabin.

"I need a key"

"A key?"

"Just look for anything small thin and metal"

It took Yu a few pulls on the door before it relented and began to open. A coating of rust broke off the hinges as the door was pulled slowly open. The shriek of grinding metal sent birds soaring out of the thatched roof that had become their nests.

They entered the cabin. The inside was covered in cob webs and bird dropping's, coated over with a thick layer of dust. A small warped table sat against one wall, a single rickety chair in front of it. A small rust covered wood burning stove sat in the corner, it's broken smoke stack lay on the floor beside it. A small set of cabinets, with only one door still intact, lined the wall across from it. What used to be a mattress, now just a sanctuary for rodents and insects, sat in another corner.

Azula pulled the chair out from the table with her foot. She scanned it, making sure it wasn't covered in anything she'd rather not sit in, then sat down.

Yu searched the cabin, looking for something that fit her description. In the back of one of the cabinets was a rusty fork with two tines missing.

"Guess it'll have to do" he whispered to himself while turning to Azula.

"You'll need to make a small bend in the tip" Azula instructed.

Not having any tolls around, Yu had to improvise, stabbing the fork into the table top then bending it backward. It was a bit crude, but did the trick.

"These shackles may look impressive, after all they are meant to restrain _me._" Azula said, instructing him on how to pick the lock as he slipped the makeshift tool into the latch "But the lock itself is fairly simple. Just..."

'CLICK'

The shackles popped off her hands before she even began explaining how to do it. Yu looked at the pick with a small smile on his face.

"Huh, just lucky I guess" He said while adding in his head, _Maybe I used to be a thief or something?_

She curled her hands into fists, then flexed them open. A surge of anger washed over her as she looked down at the discarded shackles lying on the tabletop. _How dare they do this to me! They'll pay for this, He'll pay for this. _

She snatched the lock pick from Yu's hands and removed her leg irons.

Free,of her restraints she stood up and walked outside into the clearing behind the cabin. She stretched out, performing a few basic fire Kata. She closed her eyes while maintaining her movements, concentrating on the energy flowing through her. Her eyes flashed open, and in a sudden flurry of motion a, she jumped high into the air, twisting her body sideways, blue flames tracing through the air behind her right foot. She landed, planting her flaming foot onto the ground, a perfect circle of blue flame billowed out around her.

She stood up and smiled. Reveling in the feeling of being able to expend her powers once again.

Yu, who was leaning against the frame of the open door, had watched the entire display in awed silence. Before, while she was still in chains, he'd been impressed by how easily she was still able to move, but it was nothing compared to Azula's unrestrained grace , her movements were almost poetic to watch. He was equally impressed by her blue flames. He'd never seen that before.

"I knew you were a strong bender when I first felt you but..."

"Felt me!" She spat back at him, as her head snapped in his direction. The smile quickly fading from her face as her eyes narrowed and pierced into him.

Yu straightened up and tried to stammer out a response

"Uh, that's... that's not... I didn't uh... that was a really bad choice of words."

"Then, for the sake of your own continued well being, I suggest you "choose" better words." She replied in a silky cold voice that was even more unsettling than her stare.

"I can fee... sense when benders are around." Yu tried explaining.

The anger in her eyes faded, replaced with a slightly bemused look "Really" she said, . An insidious smile spread across her face as she now looked him over, one eyebrow raised. He wasn't sure he liked this any better.

"Then once again I'll have to ask. Exactly,_ what_ are you?"

Yu shrugged his shoulders "That's what I was at the hospital in the first place." Yu said to her.

She gave him a sideways glance, as though she was trying to ascertain whether or not he was lying.

He sensed that she wasn't exactly satisfied with that answer. So he went into more detail "I don't even know who I am. Much less why I can do what I can do. I can only remember the last month or so, nothing before that. I was really hoping they could help. But... well, you know what happened."

Without warning, she hit him with a blast of fire directly in the chest. Yu had no time to react and the fire hit him, the flames curled around his body and evaporated into the air. He looked down at where she just struck him, then slowly looked back up at her in slight disbelief.

She stood about 10 feet from him a devious smile on her face, one hand on her chin.

"Any other talents I should know about" She asked him.

Her fire blast reminded him of a question that had been on his mind all morning. So instead of answering her question, he asked one of his own.

"When you used your fire breath on me this morning, to fool the guards. How did you know it wouldn't hurt me?"

"Oh that" she said "I wasn't entirely sure it wouldn't. Though, based on what I'd already seen, I was willing to take the risk"

Yu stared at her for a moment, unable to say anything. Was... she serious? He realized with a dawning horror that she was.

"_You_ were willing to take the risk..." He stammered, anger starting to boil up inside him. "I'm the one..."

"Well yes" She responded coolly. "Had you caught on fire I'm sure your screaming and thrashing about would have briefly served a useful distraction. Though, hobbled as I was, I doubt I would have made it very far, much less been able to pilot the boat. So it worked out rather well for both of us that you were."

He stood with his mouth agape. He couldn't believe what she was saying. No wonder she was being held at that hospital, this girl really was crazy.

He'd had enough, it was time to wash his hands of this and get out of here.

"Listen, thanks for helping me out an all, but now that you've been... deshackled. I really don't see that you need my help anymore. So I'll be on my way" Yu turned around and started walking away.

_No,_ Azula thought, _I could care less about his other abilities, but if he can sense when benders are around... That's something I could use._

She knew her brother would have men after her soon enough. With no troops, servants or friends to rely on anymore, having someone around that could give her early warning of an approaching threat or impending ambush could prove invaluable. No, this was far to advantageous to simply let him walk away.

"Oh, I don't know if that's such a good idea" He heard her say from behind him. The politeness in her voice seemed intentional insincere, as though she knew something important that he didn't, and that worried him.

He turned to face her. She was already slowly walking toward him, a crooked sly smile on worming it's way across her face.

"After all, not only did you just destroy part of a hospital. You also kidnapped and threatened a princess in the process"

"A princess!?" Yu replied "Yeah, and I'm the Earth King"

_So, that's why she was in there._ He thought. _She thinks she's a princess. _

"Either way..." Azula continued, hardly taking notice of the insult "That still doesn't change the fact that you _did_ kidnap me."

"What!? But... but that was your idea" Yu protested, he didn't like where this was going.

"While that is true, you and I are the only ones that know that"

She started to circle him as she continued to talk.

"All anyone else saw was you dragging away a poor helpless girl, barely coherent enough to walk on her own. And after such a violent and unprovoked attack on a hospital of all places."

Yu started to understand the position he was in. She'd manipulated him like a puppet, using his fear and panic to gain total control of the situation.

She continued. The fake politeness in her voice somehow driving the point even harder.

"If we separate now, and I get found first, well... after what they witnessed, I can just tell them anything I want now can't I. After all, I am the hapless victim in all this." She stopped, and stood to his left, tilting her head slightly and looking at him from the corner of her eyes.

"Now, if you happen to get captured without me around, do you honestly think they'll believe anything you have to say. In fact, they'll most likely assume you left me to drown or possibly just killed me yourself."

She'd lifted her hand in front of her face and casually looked at her nails, as though the conversation were boring her.

"I believe swift execution is how they generally deal with murderer's in the Fire Nation."

She looked up from her examining her nails and locked eyes with him.

"But, the decision really is yours. I'm sure you would have gotten out of that situation just fine without my help. You should have no trouble at all evading half the Fire Nation military on your own".

Her sarcasm wasn't lost on him. The only reason he hadn't been captured and thrown in a cell this morning was because of her. He also realized that, now that he was wanted, he wouldn't last long without her help. On top of that, he'd just told her that he didn't even remember who he was, so she knew he had nowhere to go or on no one to turn to.

_Doesn't look like I have much of a choice. _he lamented.

He couldn't figure out if he was more angry or impressed, so he settled on a little of both.

"Looks like you came up with the perfect plan." He said to her. Azula turned and started to walk back toward the cabin. She stopped and spoke to him over her shoulder.

"Instead of standing there, why don't you make yourself useful and see what you can do about finding some food. And do hurry, It's already getting and we still have ground to cover."

"Fine, _princess_" he said back, wishing he could've come up with something more clever to say.

Azula, satisfied that she'd made her point, walked into the cabin and sat at the small table.

_Perfect plan?_ she thought, recalling what he'd just said, _hardly..._

The taking of Ba Sing Se was the perfect plan. Misleading and capturing the invasion force during the eclipse, that was the perfect plan. Today was far from "perfect". It was desperate, she simply had no other options. It was sloppy, she new nothing about this "Yu" at the time and had no guarantee he'd actually listen to here . Worst of all, it relied far too much on chance, and Azula never left anything to chance.

...At least, she didn't used too.

No, there was nothing "perfect" about it. It had worked, that was the best she could say.

If only I didn't have to worry about...

"Those people were trying to help you Azula" came a womans voice to her ears.

Azula's eyes narrowed and she gritted her teeth. The cabin was empty, she knew no one else could be there, but she heard the voice anyway. Her mother's voice.

"I was wondering when you'd show up." Azula said, her voice quiet and calm.

"Please Azula, don't do this"

"Sorry mother, you'll have to be a little more specific. I do have a very busy schedule after all"

"I know what your planning Azula. Your brother isn't..."

"Of course."She interrupted, a short laugh escaping as she spoke "Trying to save Zuzu again." The smile left her face, replaced by a scowl. "...Like always"

"It's not your brother I'm trying to save."

"LIAR!" Azula yelled, jumping up from her chair. She spun around and kicked the rickety old chair against the wall, Splinters of wood exploded everywhere as the chair exploded on impact. Everything she'd been withholding since being placed in the hospital now boiled over. Unrestrained, her rage took hold of her.

"ALL YOU'VE EVER CARED ABOUT WAS _HIM!_" She screamed, a stream of blue fire shot from her hand and splashed against the wall. The old dry wood of the small cabin caught erupted into flames instantly.

"YOU NEVER CARED ABOUT ME! DON'T PRETEND TO CARE ABOUT ME NOW!" Her voice was strained and tears started flowing down her face. She spun around and blasted another wall, the cabin quickly becoming engulfed in flames. She momentarily stood in the growing inferno, breathing heavily while staring into the fires that raged around her, threatening to consume her with the cabin. She turned and ran out of the doorway as flames began to wrap around the frame.

She ran a few yards from the burning cabin, then turned and unleashed another torrent of fire, forcing every last bit of energy she could into the flames. She couldn't attack the voice in her head, but she needed to destroy something, she needed the release She screamed, pouring all of her anger, frustration, pain, and loathing into the fire erupting from her hands, as though doing so would cleanse her of those emotions.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she poured wave after wave of brilliant blue fire onto the small building, continuing even after it's structure collapsed under the intensity of the onslaught. But still she didn't relent, her fire cascading onto the debris. She started to strain, her fire began to weaken. Her barrage of fire thinned and sputtered until it became a trickle, then weaker still until only a few weak puffs of flame remained.

Spent, she fell to her knees. She stared down at the ground in front of her. Watching the light from the fire dance across the ground. Her body was shaking, her breath came in short heavy bursts, like an exhausted animal after making a kill. Small puffs of blue fire issued from her mouth with the exhale of every breath.

She tried to calm herself, turning her face up towards the flames, eyes closed, basking in the heat. She held her eyes closed even tighter. Her breathing slowed and her tears stopped. She stood up and opened her eyes, looking at the fire.

"Just leave me alone." she said while staring at the building she'd just annihilated.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Yu wasn't looking for food. He went into the woods and sat against a tree, trying to figure his way out of this. He'd not been there long before he heard a scream, primal and angry, from the direction of the cabin. He jumped to his feet and went running back toward the cabin, wondering if they;d been found this quickly, maybe they were under attack.

He came out of the woods to see Azula standing in front of a burning pile of rubble. He could tell from the rhythm of her body's movement that she was breathing heavily.

"What just..."

Surprised, she spun around and hit him with a blast of flame. He put up his hands out reflexively as the fire impacted and swirled around him. Even though safe from the fire itself, the impact of the attack was still enough to send him reeling backward.

"Whoa whoa, what.. what are you doing!"

Yu put his hands down and surveyed the situation. The girl (who's name he still didn't know) was standing in front of him. Her face contorted in anger and breathing heavily.

_That's it,_ Yu thought. _I'll take my chances on my own. I've gotta get away from this girl. She's completely..._

Then he noticed her eyes, red and puffy, and saw the wet streaks running down her face.

He hadn't noticed it right away, being somewhat preoccupied with being lit on fire, but she looked as though... as though she'd been crying?

"Are... are you alrigh..." He began to ask before realizing the absurdity of the situation.

_What am I doing?_ He thought. _She just tried to kill me!, why am I asking if she's alright?_

"We're leaving" she spat back at him. She gave one last look to the remains of the cabin. "There's nothing left here anyway"

She turned on her feet and headed back into the woods.

Yu didn't know what to think. He looked at her as she walked away. Then back to the smoldering pile that had recently been a cabin. Then behind him at the woods, away from this crazy girl.. If he was going to run, now would be the time. He took a deep breath and made his decision.

Yu turned and followed Azula.

"This is a really bad idea" he whispered under his breath.

Azula looked back and made sure Yu was following. Though she wouldn't admit it to herself, there was another reason she wanted him around. It was the very same reason she had submitted herself to being shackled and chained just so she could be allowed out into the hospitals inner courtyard. Out were she'd be surrounded by other people. Her mother's voice only came to her when she was alone.

_"It's not Zuko I'm trying to save"_

She kept hearing the last thing her mother said to her only moments ago...

Azula walked on, lost in thought. _Save who then, me! From what? The only thing I need saving from is you_._ I just want you out of my head. I don't know how you're doing it, but I think I know how to make it stop. After all, if Zuko weren't around, you'd have no one to protect, and I can finally be free of you. _

Zuko. He'd taken everything from her, and she wasn't going to stand for it! There would be no "Agni Kai" this time. This wasn't a matter of Honor. Her brother cared about such things, she didn't. Nor was this about getting her throne back. What was the point when everyone was just waiting to betray you. The desire for power that once fueled her ambitions had now given way to something more primal.

All she wanted now was revenge. Regardless of the consequences, she would see her brother dead.


	7. Chapter 6: Consequences of Ozai

**Chapter 6**

Consequences of Ozai

Two airships arrived at the hospital early the next morning. As the first one landed, the Fire Lord exited, surrounded by an entourage of guards, and walked up the path towards the hospital nearly out pacing his escorts as he did so.

As Zuko walked through the gates, a hush seem to fall over the courtyard, The hospital guards seemed to freeze and avoided looking in the Fire Lords direction. Too many of them were still used to Ozai's ruthlessness and feared what sort of punishment their failure my bring upon them.

But Zuko's attention wasn't on them. Instead he focused on the hole in the wall that had, until yesterday, been a fountain. He examined it, trying to imagine what had caused it. Whatever it was, it sure wasn't regular firebending.

Zuko's attention was pulled away from the breach in the wall as he noticed Rikus, the hospitals administrator, walking across the courtyard toward him.

Rikus greeted him and quickly escorted him to his private office. Zuko started asking question before he even sat down.

"First off, who took her?"

"He said he was Yu"

"He said he was me!?"

"No, not you... That was the name he gave, Yu"

"Who talked to him. I want..."

"I did Fire Lord. We don;t get many patients, I like to talk to each one personally"

"...and?" Zuko said impatiently.

"He was young, about your age, maybe a little younger. Nothing too remarkable about him really. He said he had amnesia, couldn't remember who he was or where he was from." Rikus smirked and shook his head. "Of course, given what we know now, the amnesia story made for a convenient cover. The less questions he had to answer and the less suspicion he'd raise"

"So, you think he was lying?" Zuko asked.

"It sure didn't seem like it, I can read people pretty well and he seemed genuine. But, yeah, given the evidence, I'd say he came here for a specific purpose."

"Evidence?"

"I've talked to the guards that saw him in the courtyard yesterday morning" Rikus looked out the window and paused momentarily as he surveyed the damage. "I don't know how, but it seems he knew where she was. According to what I've been told. He sat down next to the fountain, then examined the wall for a bit, like he knew she was there. Just after that, he created a panic, destroyed the wall and made off with the princess."

"He used some kind of bizarre firebending technique. He created an explosion around his body. Some of the guards even said he caught fire just before it happened. Though I'm not so sure I believe that."

"Do you think there's any way Azula could have somehow hired or contacted someone to break her out?"

"I don't see how? As you requested, she's been under strict observation since the minute she arrived here. She's not received or written any messages, she's hardly spoken a word since arriving and she's not had a single visitor"

"You said _hardly spoken a word_... then she has talked to someone?"

Rikus looked directly at Zuko and took a deep breath. He seemed hesitant to answer the Fire Lord's question.

"Well, it's a bit complicated..." Rikus drew in another breath. He broke eye contact with Zuko and shifted his gaze back out to the courtyard. "We've heard her talking in her room. Well, arguing really, when there's no one else there."

Zuko looked at him blankly, not sure what he was getting at.

Rikus could see the young Fire Lord didn't understand (or didn't want to understand) what he was trying to tell him. So Rikus laid it out as plainly as he could. "Your sister is suffering from hallucinations. She's having conversations with someone who isn't there."

Zuko felt anger erupt inside of himself. He shot up from his chair and slammed his hands palm down on the top of the Administrator's desk.

"Why haven't you told me any of this!" He yelled.

"What would you have done if I had?" Rikus responded. His voice was low and calm, but had an unmistakable edge to it. This may be the Fire Lord in front of him, but he was also a child more than 30 years younger than him.

Rikus held his temper and tried to explain "This isn't a cut or burn we're talking about. I can't just wrap some bandages around it and make it get better, it's far more complicated than that. Your sister's in a very fragile state of mind right now and..."

"And you just let someone walk out of here with her!" Zuko yelled again, motioning a hand toward the courtyard.

Rikus's temper got the best of him. "I hardly expected one of my patients to explode!" He yelled back, coming to his feet. He looked down on Zuko, towering above him. Zuko simply locked eyes with him and didn't back down. In the next second, Rikus temper quickly subsided and gave way to fear as the realization that he'd just screamed at the Fire Lord hit him.

"I'm... I'm sorry Fire Lord. I didn't mean.." Rikus stammered, trying to apologize for his gross breach in protocol.

"You don't need to apologize" Zuko said, already calming himself. He motioned for Rikus to sit back down. He lifted his hand and ran it across the scar around his left eye. "I'm not my father, I don't punish people for speaking their mind." Zuko returned to his chair. "Please continue."

Rikus sat back down, his chair groaned and creaked as it received his substantial weight. He took another breath to calm himself and spoke again.

"As I was saying. She's in a very fragile state right now. This couldn't have happened at a worse time..."

He looked down at his desktop and shook his head. After a pause, he looked back up at Zuko.

"Mental trauma is difficult to treat, much less cure. At least in here we could watch her, try and keep her from slipping farther into it. Now that she's on her own... I'm afraid it's only going to get worse"

"What do you... How much worse"

"I've seen this kind of thing before, back when I was a military doctor. It's possible that, if she succumbs completely to her hallucinations, she'll become trapped in her own mind."

He wasn't sure what he was feeling. She'd tried to kill him the last time they'd met. So why could he do nothing but pity her now?

How could she have fallen this far. This wasn't the Azula he knew. The cool, confidant, perfect sibling he'd grown up competing and struggling against. There was something about this whole situation that just felt... wrong. For someone like his sister, whose entire life had revolved around control, this seemed like a fate worse than death.

With that in mind, he couldn't help but feel that it may have been better if she _had_ died during their Agni Kai, At least that way she could have kept her dignity.

"How could something like this happen?" Zuko asked, feeling overwhelmed by the growing conflict of his own emotions.

Rikus continued. "I've met your father before. Did I ever tell you that?"

He seemed to be changing the subject, which threw Zuko for a second.

"I'm sorry, but what does this have to do with..."

Rikus politely put his hand up, as though asking for some leeway as he steered the conversation away from Azula. "Allow me to continue"

"It was years ago, before he'd become Fire Lord. It was during one of the campaigns in the Earth Kingdom. We had just captured a small mining town and Fire Lord Azulon had sent your father as part of an official inspection. He didn't seem very happy about it."

"I was one of only a handful of doctors in the platoon I served in. We didn't have many injuries on our side so, in secret, I took it upon myself to help the injured citizens of the town we'd just taken. Mostly woman, children and the elderly, since most of the men capable of fighting had already been rounded up and captured. I'd set up a house on the outskirts of town as a temporary hospital, enough out of the way that I figured no one would find me. I was wrong."

Rikus stopped and took a deep breath. When he continued, his voice was far more earnest. He broke his focus on Zuko and looked down at his desk.

"One of his royal guards found out and brought me before the Fire Lord. He had me arrested on the spot for treason. After I was in chains, his guards lead him to the house."

Rikus lifted his head and locked eyes with Zuko and continued. "To my absolute horror, he had the house barred shut from the outside and ordered it burned to the ground, with the civilians still inside."

A silience lingered in the air for a moment that was only broken as Rikus continued. "I've had years to think about why he did that. Originally I thought it was simply to prove a point. That any disobedience wouldn't be tolerated. But I don't think that was it. To be honest, I think he did it just because he could. He had power and he wanted everyone to know it."

Since becoming Fire Lord, this wasn't the first time hearing stories like this, though that didn't make it any easier to listen to. It was the same reason his father had chosen to destroy the Earth Kingdom despite having already won the war. _He had power and he wanted everyone to know it._

"Why are you telling me this?" Zuko asked.

Rikus sat foreword in his chair and folded his hands together in front of him. "From what I understand, your father has had a great influence over your sister's upbringing... If your looking for answers about what's going on in her head and why, you won't find them here. The answers you want are sitting in a prison cell back at the capitol."

Ozai. Why did it always come back to his father!

"Is that who she thinks she's talking too? Our Father."

"No. From what I've been able to determine, it's your mother"

Another revelation Zuko wasn't ready for. He didn't even think Azula thought very much about their...

A memory came suddenly rushing back to him, this one from not so long ago. Azula, Ty Lee, Mai and himself where sitting around a fire on a beach. Back on Ember Island.

- - - - - - - -

_"I could sit and complain about how our mom liked Zuko more than me, but I don't really care." _It was something he'd come to expect. Azula brushing off any emotional attachments as useless to her.

But then, just after saying that, there was a distinct change in her tone. She became more somber than Zuko was accustomed to. She looked into the fire, with what Zuko thought was almost trace of sadness and spoke again. _" My own mother thought I was a monster."_

He remembered it so clearly, mainly since it had taken them all off guard to see Azula seem almost vulnerable.

She cut that moment short. After a brief and (what seemed like) purposefully

dramatic pause, she added very matter-of-factly _"She was right of course, but it still hurt."_

_- - - - - - - -_

At the time it simply seemed like Azula playing them as usual. Pretending to be hurt, only to brush it aside a moment later like it was nothing, just to keep everyone off guard. It was the kind of petty mind games Azula couldn't help playing, even with her "friends". So, he'd simply dismissed it.

That is, until now.

She was having hallucinations about their mother?

Zuko closed his eyes. An image of his Uncle Iroh now appearing in his mind. _I was lucky_ Zuko thought. _I had someone that wouldn't give up on me, someone to guide me when I was lost. Maybe Azula deserves that same chance._

"I have something else I need to take care of. I'll be leaving now" Zuko said while standing. Rikus also stood, bowing to Zuko.

Zuko left the hospital and met captain Makato who was waiting just outside the gate. He looked at the two airships hovering just over the boat dock.

_I know Sokka didn't have much choice, but this search would be a lot easier if I had a few more airships. _He thought.

Zuko spoke over his shoulder, addressing Captain Makato, who had arrived on the other airship. "Capitan, I want you to take your airship and patrol the coast. I have a feeling that Azula's first objective will be to flee the Fire nation. Here's what I want you to do..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This update took longer than expected. My computer died last week and it took me until last night to get it working again. The next update should come much sooner (3-4 days).

As always, I could use any and all feedback. Knowing what I'm doing right and (even more so) what I'm doing wrong, can only help me become a better writer.

Thank you for reading.


	8. Chapter 7: The Departure

**Chapter 7**

_The Departure  
_

There is an art to properly gathering information.

There was a variety of ways to go about it. And like any artist, Azula had her preferred methods. Torture she liked the least, not that she was in any way opposed to it, but the information divulged was always the least reliable. What she found most dependable, was to gain someone's trust. After all, people were always at their weakest and most vulnerable when they were foolish enough to place their trust in another. Once that was accomplished, she could exploit that and learn anything she needed.

Not only was she exceptionally good at it, but she truly enjoyed it. Picking apart a personality, maneuvering around someones quirks and defenses, getting inside their heads and working them in such a way that they would tell you anything.... it was something that required the gentle stroke of a masters brush. Azula knew better then most that _any _information, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, could end up being useful. As such, she liked to find out everything she could about the people she was using.

Which was why she found her current traveling companion so... boring. Yu was no challenge at all. He was an open book. Anything she asked about, he answered without the slightest sense of apprehension or hesitation. Was he really this naive? How could someone just reveal everything about themselves to someone they didn't even know?

Granted, as his memory only went back a month, there wasn't much to tell. But something about his unguarded attitude simply annoyed her.

Under the guise of making casual conversation, she continued to ask him questions. More than anything still trying to determine exactly what he was. She had to reduce their pace slightly since, unlike Azula, Yu was unable to carry on a conversation during a flat out run.

"So you've no ability whatsoever to actually control your powers. It just happens at random?"

"Well, yeah... kinda" Yu responded.

"Kind of?" Azula said back to him, doing little to mask her annoyance. "I would think it's not too much to ask that when I propose a question that can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no", that you not reply in such a way as to make it as vague as possible."

Yu paused for a moment and look at the back of her head as she led them through the woods to a destination she'd not yet offered to share. _Why exactly did I decide to follow this girl again?_He thought for not the first time this morning. He was about to respond with something snarky, but a small voice in the back of his head told him it might not be such a good idea. Instead, he just went on to explain what he'd meant.

"The whole bender sense and fire proof thing, that's always active. But the catching on fire, that happens at random." He said, then after added a brief pause "Could be worse I guess. I could be on fire all the time with my fire resistance randomly turned on and off."

"And by "random", I assume you've been unable to identify any discernible pattern to it?" Azula asked, ignoring what she guessed to be his attempt at humor.

"Not that I can tell. It was about two and a half weeks ago that it happened the first time. About six days later it happened again. It happened once more eight days later. That was three days ago. I only went to that hospital because I figured I'd have about a week before it happened again, but then..." Yu stopped and turned his eyes down at the ground in front of him but wasn't actually looking at anything. "well, you know what happened after that."

Azula looked back over her shoulder at him. _Well, _She thought. _Talking to this peasant has been a fantastic waste of my time. All I've learned is that he may be even more useless to me than I'd originally hoped._

Even so, there were a few more questions she wanted to ask.

"So then" Azula directed her voice to the man walking behind her. "As you claim to not remember anything about yourself, how is it that you came about your name"

"Oh, that" Yu's voice came from behind her "That's kind of a long story really"

"For all intents and purposes your life's lasted a month, how long of a story could it possibly be?"

"Well, yeah." Yu responded, his tone reluctant "It's not so much long as it is stupid"

"Well then" Azula said under her breath. "It should fairly consistent with the rest of what you've told me"

Her snide remark going unheard by Yu, who continued his story. "I found my way into small village a few days after waking up. An old man came running up to me and started asking a bunch of questions. I guess everyone was still one edge since that war I keep hearing about just ended"

The tone of Yu's voice changed, apparently speaking for the old man. "You! Yeah you! Who are you? What are you doing here? What's you're name!?." Yu stopped the imitation (Much to Azula's relief) and continued in his own voice. "I turned to him and said 'well, you just called me "You" three times, which is four times more than any other name I've been called. So I might as well go with that."

Yu shrugged his shoulders "I meant it as a joke, but it was a pretty small village, so by the time I left a few days later, everyone was calling me 'Yu'."

He stopped for a second and sighed. "If I knew the name was gonna stick..." He shook his head and smiled to himself "...I would have come up with a better joke".

He looked up only to see her gaining distance on him. She didn't seem to be listening to him anymore. He took a breath and hurried to catch up. Once he had, he finally tried asking her the one question he'd meant to ask since first meeting her.

"Mind if I get a question in?" He yelled up to her.

"If you must" She responded dismissively.

"What's your name anyway?"

She hesitated for a second, but couldn't think of any reason to withhold her name from someone that wouldn't know who she was anyway.

"Azula" She said simply.

He was curious about one more thing.

"So, Azula, where are we headed anyway?" Yu asked

"Would knowing the name of the city mean anything to you if I did tell you."

"I... I guess not"

"Then don't waste anymore of my time with useless question. You'll find out when we get there." Azula responded as picked up her pace.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

It took another hour and a half before they reached their destination. They stood at the edge for the forest overlooking the large port town of Fire Fountain City nestled in a shallow valley boarded by rocky hills. Getting to the actual port (which was Azula's destination) would require that they pass directly through town to reach it.

The Cities namesake, the fire fountain (a large statue of Fire Lord Ozai emitting fire from his hands and mouth), no longer stood in the city's central town square. Upon seeing it, she felt an unexpected wave of anger surge over her. She did what she could to suppress it, after all she'd expected the statue to be gone, but it was just another reminder of how much things had changed. Her father wasn't Fire Lord anymore, nor was she.

At least it hadn't been replaced by a statue of Zuko. If it had Azula thought, she might have had to burn the entire city to the ground.

Azula pulled herself out of her thoughts and looked down at her clothes. The loose fitting red shirt and baggy hospital pants were hardly flattering, and made her too recognizable as a patient. She looked sideways at Yu, still shirtless, wearing only a pair of mostly charred hospital pants, looked even more suspicious than she did. If they had any hope of making it through the city to the port, they'd need new clothes.

Azula turned away from Yu and walked behind one of the larger boulders that dotted the landscape at the edge of the woods.

"Stay here for a moment" She ordered Yu. He stood and waited, not sure what she was doing. He heard the sound of cloth ripping. Then a pair of red pants flew up and over the rock, landing on the ground in front of him.

Yu starred at them for a moment, his cheeks growing red. _What is she..._ He began to wonder before having his thoughts interrupted by the sound of her voice.

"Put those on and throw your pants over here."

Even more confused and embarrassed, he did as she said. He pulled on the red pants, that were now torn off at the knees, making them into a pair of tattered red shorts, and threw his over to her.

Azula came out from behind the rock wearing Yu's burnt hospital pants. She knew the city's military force and local guards would already have been alerted to her escape. This was the closest large city to the Hospital. In fact, if her brother were any kind of Fire Lord at all, there would already be a trap waiting there for her. She knew they'd know her face right away, but were less likely to have an adequate description of Yu, so she was sending him in ahead to acquire outfits that could better help conceal her identity. She knew having him enter the city through the slums dressed in nothing but tattered red shorts wouldn't raise any suspicions either, since he'd just look like one of the dozens of beggars littering the area.

Yu tried to argue with her, he was afraid of his powers might flare up again. Azula convinced him that, if he performed his task quickly and competently, he should only be in the city for a short time. He still seemed reluctant to do so, but went anyway.

Truth be told, Azula could care less if he caught on fire or exploded while inside the city. If that happened, she could use the ensuing chaos to slip by and get to the docks unnoticed.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The clothes swap seemed to be doing the trick. He'd only been in the slums for roughly ten minutes and had already passed by at least half a dozen beggars dressed in nothing but torn pants. They few guards he'd anxiously passed by hadn't even given him a second glance. He was blending right in.

He still couldn't think about how to get clothes with no money. He considered stealing some off a clothesline, or maybe when a vendor wasn't looking, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. It seemed a little silly, as he was currently wanted for both kidnapping and destroying part of a hospital, but he'd rather keep his crimes to accidental status rather than make a hobby of it.

His surrounding started to improve as he wandered out of the slums and into the nicer parts of town. It wasn't a drastic improvement, but still nicer then the shacks, dirty street vendors, and beggars he'd just made his way through. Though, if finding clothes in the slums was difficult, here would be next to impossible. He started to turn around when a noise caught his attention, he thought he could hear crying. He turned back, and began tracing the sound to it's origin.

Yu turned a corner and saw a little girl, no more than 5 or 6 years old, sitting on the steps of a boarded up shop, crying. She had long black hair pulled back into a ponytail and was sobbing while holding on tightly to a small stuffed doll.

Yu watched incredulously as everyone passed by, either pretending they couldn't hear her or just too busy to care.

_Well, if nobody else is going to help her..._

He walked over and kneeled in front of her. When she noticed him, she drew in a quick breath and hugged her stuffed animal ( either a badger mole, or a platypus bear, Yu couldn't figure out which) even closer .

"Hey, what's wrong" He said in a soft tone, trying to reassure her that he was friendly.

She kept her head down, looking up just enough that she could still see him. She paused for a second, then just shook her head vigorously from side to side.

"Oh, your not supposed to talk to strangers are you." He said. Again keeping his voice soft and gentle.

She nodded, then used her sleeve to wiped her eyes, then hugged her stuffed animal tightly to herself again.

"Well, my names Yu" He said to her. He pointed at her stuffed toy "Does he have a name."

"It's a girl" she said sheepishly.

Yu smiled "Alright, whats _her_ name."

She held the toy up in front of Yu.

"Growly... She's a badger bear" The little girl said, a bit more confidence in her voice.

"Can Growly tell me your name?"

She pulled 'Growly' back down to her lap and looked at Yu for a second. She then leaned forward, as though she needed to tell him a secret. She made a hand motion, indicating that he was supposed to to the same. Yu leaned in and turned his head so she could whisper in his ear.

"Badger bears can't talk" She said very quietly, as though not wanting to embarrass him in front of the passing adults.

Yu laughed a bit and thanked her for the information. She seemed a bit more at ease now. She hugged Growly to her chest once more, the toy seemingly bolstering her courage.

"My names Miyu" She said after a pause.

Yu smiled at her. Miyu moved over so he could sit on the step next to her. After sitting down he asked her another question.

"So why are you crying"

"I came her with my mom, and she got lost" she said while still looking down at her bear.

Yu stood up and held out his hand. "How about I help you look for her" He said smiling.

He momentarily considered putting her on his shoulder so she could see through the crowd better. But decided against it. If his body did catch fire again, it always started with an odd burning feeling in his chest. Which always brought him to his knees. He didn't want to drop her if something _did_ happen. At least if she stayed on the ground, he could shoo her away before anything bad happened.

Miyu didn't say anything, but jumped up smiling and grabbed his hand. Yu paused for a moment and looked back the way he came. Azula was waiting outside of town, and he was supposed to be getting clothes....

_Oh, well_. He thought. _This shouldn't take too long. Besides, who could get mad at someone for helping a lost little kid?_

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Azula sat and waited. He'd been gone for almost three hours and her patience had worn out nearly two hours ago.

_That fool, he should have been back by now!_ she thought. ._..and since he isn't, that means he's probably gotten himself captured, and if he's been captured, then he'll tell them about me, tell them where I am. He'll betray me!_

"How could I have been this foolish!" She said out loud, berating herself. _I knew I should have just left him behind in the woods, why did I..._

"It must be hard on you." Ursa's voice came from her right, just around the rock formation. "You've never been alone before, not like this anyway, and it scares you."

Azula looked over and saw the silhouette of a shadow stretching out beside her. She didn't look up. She didn't want to look at her right now.

"Don't be ridiculous mother" Azula said with a sneer "I'm not afraid of anything"

"Did you say something." A male voice came from the other side of the boulder.

Azula was startled and jumped to her feet. With her concentration on her mother, she hadn't heard anyone approaching. It took her a moment to register the new voice as Yu's. Once she did, she came running around the boulder and confronted him.

"What took you so long" she yelled.

To her surprise, he was dressed in brand new Earth Kingdom clothing (apparently the vendor's in town had expanded since the end of the war). He'd even somehow bought two backpacks and Earth Kingdom clothes for her as well. Best of all, he'd even had the foresight to buy a couple of large Earth Kingdom style pan hats.

"How did you manage all this" She asked.

"I happened across some money" He said nonchalantly. Though something in his voice indicated he wasn't telling her everything. Not that she really cared. He'd done what he was supposed to do, that's all that mattered. If he kept on like this, he just might make for a decent servant. Though she could do with a bit more expediency next time.

She took one of the packs and went behind the rock to change, ordering him far away from her location. She came back around a few minutes later in a pair of light green pants with a thin brown belt, and a dark green shirt with yellow stripes trimming the edges of an Earth Kingdom insignia on the chest. Her sleeves ended inside a pair of studded brown bracer's.

His outfit was as similar, though with a more masculine design. His belt was thicker and studded, his shirt sleeveless.

Azula scavenged one last strip of cloth from the pant legs she ripped off and did her best to tie he hair up in a simple ponytail (if things did get hectic in town, the last thing she needed was her hair getting in her face during a fight). Azula pulled her hat on, tilting it foreword just enough to cover her face. With that, they headed into town.

Azula did her best to keep herself calm as he started walking beside her. A month ago, she had almost been crowned Fire Lord, now here she was walking in step with a peasant as though he was in any way her equal. The situation made her cringe and brought her simmering anger even closer to the surface, but she decided to leave it be. There were more important things to worry about right now.

Her attention was momentarily drawn by a sign as they entered the city. It would seem the demolition of the fire fountain wasn't the only change to the city. It was now called New Chung-Ling (having been called Chung-Ling before the Fire Fountain existed). She shook her head at the sign and returned to her thoughts.

There were a few more supplies to gather. Mainly dry goods and as many full water skins as they could fit into their packs. They'd need it for what lay ahead.

As they walked through the city, her thoughts turned to her brother and how she planned at getting to him. Or more precisely, how she could bring him to her. He was Fire Lord now and as such, he had far too much of an advantage in the Fire Nation. Staying here would guarantee her defeat... for a second time.

But she knew him. She knew him oh so well.

If she could make it to the Earth Kingdom, and stay hidden long enough, he wouldn't be able to resist coming after her himself. It was one of his flaws. Zuko couldn't help playing the part of the brave hero.

She also knew a large Fire Nation military force would never be allowed into the Earth Kingdom. Not now, not with the war so recently over. So when he does come, he'll only have a small force with him, and that would even the playing field.

It was ironic really. If the war was still going on, it would be no trouble at all for Zuko to track her into the Earth Kingdom. But now, she could use the "peace" he'd struggled so hard to attain and us it against him.

Her only fear was that he'd bring the Avatar with him.

She'd not yet formed a plan to deal with that scenario, but she had time.

She looked sideways at Yu. _As long as he's not lying to me about his gift for sensing benders, it should be enough to help me at least avoid the Avatar if the need arrives. Though I'm hoping my brother won't be cowardly enough to resort to that. If I know him well enough, he'll consider it a matter of personal honor to deal with me himself. _

Azula was still lost in thought as they moved through the city. They were halfway through New Chung-Ling's massive town square, which had been opened up significantly with the removal of Ozai's statue.

Everything was going smoothly. Azula had noticed a large number of guards in town, but none had approached them. Azula suspected that the general populace hadn't been alerted to her escape yet. Zuko probably didn't want to create a panic. So the guards were attempting to be inconspicuous.

It almost seemed to easy, and that made her nervous.

Yu suddenly felt something grab his leg. He yelled out a bit, startled, and quickly looked down. His outburst was enough to catch Azula's attention (as well as some townsfolk around them). At first she thought he might be getting attacked, so she turned ready to fight.

There was a small girl hugging Yu's leg.

"Thanks again for helping me find my mom" The little girl said enthusiastically.

"What is that" Azula demanded angrily, pointing at the girl.

"Uh, it's a child" He responded apprehensively.

"I can see that." she said, her eyes narrowing "Why is it doing... _that_" once again making another hand motion at Miyu while she hugged his leg.

On older womans voice came calling out from Yu's left. "MIYU... MIYU. WHERE DID YOU GO THIS TIME!" A haughty looking woman came walking through the crowd, a mix of worry and frustration on her face. Once she saw Yu under the assault of Miyu's embrace, her look changed. She shook her head and smiled as she moved toward them.

"Well, hello once again Yu!" She said.

Azula tilted her hat down, hiding her face. She was furious. They may not have a picture of his face out yet, but the guards would at least know his name... and this idiot was walking around town telling everyone who he was.

The older woman's attention returned to her daughter. "So that's why you ran off young lady" She walked over and grabbed Miyu's hand, pulling her away from Yu. She returned her attention to Yu and addressed him.

"I almost didn't recognize you. Your clothes are defiantly more presentable this time. I'm glad that money I gave you was put to good use."

"Yeah, thanks again for that, though you really didn't need..."

"Oh Nonsense! I pay my nanny's far more than what I gave you and they still can't keep an eye on this troublesome girl." She said patting Miyu on the head. "Just consider it a reward."

Miyu's mother looked back at you "Well, we really should be going. Goodbye Yu"

She turned and started walking away with Miyu in tow. Miyu twisted in her mother's grip and turned herself around and waved vigorously at Yu.

"BYE YU!" She yelled out loudly across the crowded square.

Azula cringed. She looked at him, resisting the urge to attack him outright in such a public place. She grabbed Yu by the arm and dragged him into a nearby alley.

Before Yu could ask any questions she grabbed him by the shirt and slammed him against the alley wall. He was momentarily speechless, shocked by both her reaction and by how unusually strong she was.

"Your usefulness is being quickly eclipsed by your incompetence." She said through gritted teeth. "Are you truly incapable of comprehending the situation you're in!" She pointed a finger out toward the town square. "Time is our enemy and you're wasting it helping some little... peasant brat! Is that why you took so long?" "

"What was I supposed to do?." Yu said in his defense. "just walk away from a crying little girl that needed help."

"Yes you idiot, that's exactly what you were supposed to do" Azula's fist clenched tighter around his shirt as she pushed him against the wall harder.

"No one was helping her, I couldn't just leave her alone"

Azula looked at him as she felt an unmanageable fury boil up inside her along with other emotions Azula couldn't place. She let go of any thoughts that she may have had about needing his help as she balled up her free hand into a fist with the intention of breaking his Jaw. Her anger was so much that she even felt her eyes began to water slightly. Just as she was about to strike, she noticed he wasn't looking at her anymore, his attention seemed directed down the alleyway.

"I think we've got company"

Even through her anger she she was cognizant enough to see that the concern on his face wasn't directed at her. She turned and saw three guards moving down the alleyway, hands on their weapons.

Her attention redirected, the rage that had, only moments ago consumed her, quickly melted away. They'd been found. No doubt because of the little girl yelling out his name in the courtyard.

She let him go and faced the guards.

"The middle guys a firebender... but there's four more firebenders coming up the alley behind us." Yu offered.

She looked back, but the alleyway curved, and didn't see anyone coming.

"Keep up with me or I'm leaving you behind" She said as she threw her pack to Yu. He caught it as she broke into a run toward the three guards moving toward them.

"Halt" The man in the lead screamed. Azula jumped up, kicking a blast of brilliant blue fire from her foot. The firebender tried meeting her flame head on, blasting fire from his fists, but Azula's fire plowed through his weaker flame, toping him backward. The other two guards pressed themselves against the walls, shielding their faces from the flames.

The firebender jumped to his feet but it was too late, Azula had already closed the gap between them. He tried attacking again punching another fireball at her. She jumped and spun sideways, planting her foot on the alley wall, his fire passing harmlessly underneath her. She pushed off the wall, flipping through the air and planted her heel directly in the firebenders face slamming his head into the ground. She sprung off him into a hand stand and flipping between the other two guards.

They didn't even have time to draw their weapons. She sprung into the air, twirling sideways. She thrust her fist above her head catching one man in the jaw and knocking him out cold while simultaneously bringing the heel of her foot into nose of the other guard and smashing his head into the wall behind him. The three of them hit the ground and the same time, Azula being the only one landing on her feet.

Yu came running up behind her, past the toppled guards. Farther behind him, four guards stood at the bend in the alley.

"IT'S THEM!" one man yelled to the other guards upon seeing her signature blue flames. Instead of advancing, he shot a large blast of fire straight up into the air. The other firebenders did likewise. It took her a moment to realize what they were doing.

Just as she'd thought, they'd been ready and waiting for her. These firebenders were sending a signal. It looks like they had a trap set for her after all. This wasn't the time to fight, they needed to get to the docks.

She turned and ran into the town square, shooting fire blasts randomly into the air, purposely causing a panic. People scrambled everywhere, screams filled the air. Azula dodged between them running toward the docks. She didn't check to see if Yu was following. If he couldn't take care of himself, he wasn't much use to her anyway.

She was across the square and running down another alley. After a few more minutes she stopped a block away from the dock and hid in a small nook between warehouse buildings.

She glanced back quickly, Yu came running up behind her. She could still hear the commotion coming from the town square. It worried her that they'd not run into any guards along the way, and the docks didn't seem guarded at all.

"Can you tell what's up ahead?" She asked him

"uh... just two firebenders" He replied while catching his breath.

She paused for a moment. If Zuko had expected her to show up here, why would there only be two firebenders at the docks. Did he underestimate her that much?

Without talking, she ran towards the docks. She still didn't know what to expect when she got there, but she couldn't just wait here.

She ran around the building, the docks now in full view. As Yu had said, there was only two guards standing at the docks.

Without stopping, Azula kicked a blast of blue fire directly between the two soldiers. The one on the right, caught completely off guard, reeled back and fell off the dock into the water below. The other soldier stepped into the blast, producing his own flame and spinning to deflect her attack to the side. His maneuver worked, but consumed too much time. When the flames cleared, Azula was only a few feet away.

He tried to blast her with fire once again, but she too close. She quickly grabbed his wrist, sending his failed attack towards Yu.

Yu stopped running and dropped to his knees, sliding under the blast. Though he had nothing to worry about from the fire, he didn't want to ruin his new clothes.

Azula quickly and forcefully twisted his wrist, causing his arm to lock straight. She clasped her other hand over his elbow and forced him to his knees. One more forceful twist caused him to double over at the waist, his head slamming on the dock. She shifted her grip and twisted his arm back the other direction, pulling him back off the ground. Azula released her grip and planted her foot directly in his chest, kicking him off the dock.

The entire event, from her initial fireball, to the last guard hitting the water, lasted roughly five seconds. A month in prison had slowed Azula down.

Her eyes darted across the dock. All they needed was a small boat. The smaller the better in fact. She spotted three small rowboats at the end of the dock and ran towards them. She jumped into the only one with a small rudder.

She turned around to tell Yu to get in the boat, but he was still half the dock behind her. She'd outpaced him easily. Behind him, an entire battalion of soldiers was now filling up the docks, but stopped short of encroaching on the docks. They seemed more interested in blocking access back into the city then trying to peruse her.

That's when she saw it. An airship was rising into the air from behind the hills surrounding the city.

She realized that the signal was for the airship. That's why the docks were so lightly guarded. They actually wanted her getting on a boat. Now that the docks were covered in soldiers she'd have no choice but to try and leave by boat, which the airship could easily outrun and capture.

It was a decent plan, she had to admit, and it might have even worked if they were trying to capture anyone other than her. Too bad she'd already figured Zuko would try something like this. They wouldn't get her that easily.

Yu caught up, panting heavily. Azula jumped into the small rowboat as did Yu.

"I hope you don't expect me to out row _that._" He said, pointing at the large airship now closing on their position. "Whatever that is."

"Just grab the rudder and steer, I'll do the rest." She yelled at him.

Yu grabbed the rudder and stood to the side as Azula took position at the back of the boat next to him. She took a wide low stance, her feet lined up perpendicular to the back of the boat. She pulled back both fists by her side and inhaled deeply. Just as she was about to act, Yu yelled out. "STOP".

It caught Azula off guard. She looked at him for a second. Did... did he just give_me_ an order!

He jumped out of the boat. She looked at him, then back up in the air. The airship was getting closer, within a minute it would be on top of them.

"Get back in the boat, NOW!" She yelled again.

"I just need this" He grabbed a rope off one of the larger boats docked across from them.

_What is he doing!_ Azula thought. Yu jumped back in the boat and, producing a small knife, quickly cut a notch in to the rudder handle and wrapped the middle of the rope around it.

"Just give me a minute" Yu said to her while making his preparations.

"We don't have a minute" she yelled back at him, almost ready to kick him off the boat and attempt this herself.

Yu pulled the oars out of the metal loops they rested in and threw them in the boat. He quickly ran the ends of the rope through the now empty oarlocks down either side of the boat and pulled it tight to the front of the tiny boat. With this setup, he could now operate the rudder from the front of the boat.

"Ok, go" he yelled.

Azula, locked herself in her stance once again, facing the back of the boat. She pulled her fists to her sides, inhaled deeply and thrust both fists forward. A massive stream of blue fire erupted from her hands. The boat lurched forward, propelled by the force she was generating. The front of the boat lifted out of the water, Yu had to lean back hard to bring it down.

She was slightly impressed. It would seem Yu's precautions had not been unwarranted. Without his weight in the front of the boat, her sudden propulsion would have flipped the boat end over end.

The small boat cut through the water faster than it was ever meant to go. The airship, which had been only moments away from intercepting them, now lifted back into the air in pursuit.

Azula steadied her breath and concentrated, She needed to maintain her fire at a level of intensity that would give them enough speed to out pace the airship, but not enough to tire her before they'd gotten far enough away that the ship gave up pursuit.

The airship pitched foreword and skimmed across the water at top speed, but to no avail, it simply couldn't keep up.

She strained to keep her flames burning until the ship was out of sight. It took nearly a half hour before the airship finally gave gave up pursuit.

Once the airship was finally out of site, Azula fell to her knee's, worn out. She took in deep breaths and tried to steady herself. She was probably the only firebender alive that could keep a constant flame of that intensity burning for as long as she had. But as good as she was, even she had limits.

Yu let go of the ropes connected to the rudder and moved near Azula. He reached a hand toward her , to see if she was ok, when she suddenly turned and slapped his hand away.

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH ME!" She screamed at him.

Yu backed off and moved back to his position at the bow. She was apparently still angry with him, and he didn't want to push his luck.

"um..." Yu started to say

"What!" Azula responded abruptly between breaths.

"I was just thinking. What if I... you know, I start on fire while were out here?"

"Then I'll kick you overboard and continue on without you. Any other questions?"

"No, I think that about covers it."

Yu shook his head and turned to look out at the ocean all around them. _Great! _He thought._ I get to spend the next few days on a small boat with her... _And, for not the first time that day, Yu once again questioned his decision to follow her.


	9. Chapter 8: Sea of Dreams

**Chapter 8**

_Sea of Dreams_

The sun had set hours ago, it was just Azula and Yu in the middle of a vast sea. Yu had removed his improvised rudder controls, replacing the oars into the oarlocks and was rowing as Azula slept, though she'd seemed exceptionally reluctant to do so. In the end however, it hadn't been much her choice. After using her firebending to propel the boat on and off for most of the day, she was simply to exhausted to stay awake.

It seemed almost pointless really. The progress he was making by rowing wasn't even a fraction of how fast they moved with Azula's firebending. More than anything, he just needed something to do to keep himself awake and make sure they didn't drift off course, or end up pointed in the wrong direction.

Taking a break to enjoy the silence,Yu looked over his shoulder at Azula sleeping at the front of the boat. It was a nice change of pace, not being yelled at or ordered around. While he had to admit she certainly was pretty (something that was far easier to appreciate when she was asleep), this girls attitude left an awful lot to be desired. So, as far as he was concerned, getting to the Earth Kingdom couldn't happen soon enough. He didn't plan on hanging around her any longer than he needed too.

He looked back out over the water. The waning crescent Moon was low on the horizon, giving off just enough light to illuminate his surroundings (not that there was much too see, other than endless water). His eyes settled on the moon. Something about being out here on the water, bathing in the moons pale glow, was very calming...

At least at first.

The longer Yu looked out at the moon, the more his initial calm started to waver. An unease slowly seeped up within him. He wanted to look away, but his eyes felt locked in position. Without warning, a sudden surge of anger overtook him. It was like nothing he'd ever felt before. In that moment, all he could focus on was his unequivocal hatred of that softly glowing half-orb hanging in the night sky. He twisted his head, forcing himself to look away. With the moon no longer in his field of vision, the baffling eruption of rage subsided almost immediately.

He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths.

_What... what just happened._ He thought. He looked back at the moon one more time, but quickly turned away, not wanting to experience that again. _Why would I be mad at the moon? That... that doesn't make any kind of sense? _

It was, unfortunately, just another question about himself he couldn't answer. Something he was getting distressingly used too. He took a few moments to settle his nerves, then went back to rowing, this time avoiding looking back in the moons direction.

About an hour later, and much to Yu's relief, the moon fell below the horizon. The sun would be rising soon, and hopefully, so would Azula. Then they could get underway again. Until then, he just kept rowing.

He heard Azula mumble. He turned to look, but she was still asleep, most likely dreaming. She shifted and mumbled again, then made a slight whimper. A tear rolled out of the corner of one eye. Whatever she was dreaming, it didn't appear to be a happy.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

She was walking down one of the covered walkways that encircled the palaces inner courtyard. The trees, the grass, the turtleduck ponds. She was back home, where she belonged. But despite this, she couldn't help but feel that something was wrong. Everything just seemed... off.

The colors of the courtyard were faded, and nothing was moving. Even the water in the pond seemed frozen in place. She placed her hands on the railing that surrounded the courtyard and looked around but couldn't hear or see any signs of life. No, that wasn't true. There was something, a noise, barely audible. A soft whimper filled the air, the sound of a crying child. It grew louder, but unfocused, seemingly coming from all around her. The noise stopped suddenly. Then, just to her right, began again. This time, being issued from a small child sitting on the floor beside her, curled up into a ball and crying.

It was a little girl. Azula couldn't see her face, which was buried in her arms. She sat with her knees pulled up to her chest, her arms wrapped around them. Her body shook as she tried muffling the sounds of her sobbing. Though Azula didn't know why the thought occurred to her, but somehow she knew the little girl was hiding from something, or someone.

Realizing she wasn't alone, the little girl shifted and looked up at Azula. Azula took a few steps back as they made eye contact. Azula recognized the girl immediately. She was looking at herself.

The younger Azula, no more than 5 years old, looked back at her older self sheepishly, Then looked away and buried her head back into her arms and started crying again.

Azula's surprise quickly subsided, replaced by a slowly building anger.

_No,_ She thought, _this child may look like me, but I was never this weak. I never sat around the palace crying. What possible reason..._

Azula stepped forward and grabbed the child by the arm, yanking her to her feet.

"Who are you" Azula sneered at the little girl.

The girl didn't answer, too surprised and afraid to respond.

"Answer me" Azula demanded of the girl again, her grip around the child's arm tightening.

"A... Azula" The little girl said, wincing in pain.

_No, you're not me._ Azula thought. She didn't know what was going on, but she was going to find out.

"Why are you crying." Azula asked the child impatiently, shoving her away as she let go of her arm.

The girl didn't answer with words. The younger Azula slowly looked down at the ground while raising her hand and pointed out into the courtyard. Azula looked to where she pointed.

Her eyes widened as she saw Ursa and a young Zuko playing in the courtyard. Her mother was chasing him around the pond. Occasionally catching and tickling him. The laughter of both grated on Azula's nerves. Ursa let him go and he jumped up and ran away again. They seemed happy, both of them laughing and smiling. It made Azula cringe.

She looked back down to her younger self, still not understanding why she was crying.

The younger Azula spoke to her older self.

"I wanted to play with Mom and Zuzu" She said timidly.

"Then go play with them." She spat out impatiently "Why would you be cowering here"

"I'm afraid" The little girl said, almost too quietly to hear.

Her irritation was quickly boiling over into anger. Not so much at the girl this time. Something else was beginning to bother her... All of this was beginning to seem... familiar somehow. _No__, _she thought, _theres nothing familiar about this. This never happened, it couldn't have. I was never like this, never._

"You're Afraid" Azula said harshly. "Afraid of what?"

_Afraid of Mom... of Zuko. Nonsense! _

She heard her own little voice pipe up once again.

"I'm afraid of Dad." She said, a fresh set of tears starting to trail down her face. "He gets mad when I play with Zuzu."

Azula was taken off guard. That didn't make any sense. She was never afraid of her father. It was just the opposite. Her father was the only one that had ever paid any real attention to her. The only one that really cared about her. Why would she be afraid of her father.

As if she could hear her thoughts, the little girl in front of her once again pointed out at the courtyard. When Azula looked out, Ursa and Zuko were gone.

What she saw now was her father standing by the pond, Her younger self standing next to him. Azula found herself out in the courtyard, standing next to them, but they seemed not to notice her. They were standing in front of one of the small ponds, a small family of turtleducks gathered around it's edge.

Her father had brought her out here for a lesson, the private lessons he'd been giving her since shortly after her fifth birthday. The lessons that were to be kept between them, he'd made her promise that. Not even her mother was allowed to know about them. It seemed a little strange, but she liked the secrecy, it made her feel special.

Ozai called Azula over to watch the turtleducks. She didn't understand what today's lesson was supposed to be about, but right now she didn't care. She always liked playing with the turtleducks, so she was just enjoying watching them.

One of the turtleducklings, the runt of the bunch, was lagging behind the others. One of it's legs was malformed due to a birth defect. The mother kept leaving the other turtleducklings to help move this one along. The other turtleducklings would start to quack wildly and scatter about when their mother left them. Once the mother managed to push the runt closer to the flock, she'd have to reorganize her scattered young and try leading them again.

"Do you see this Azula" He motioned towards the lame turtleduckling and it's mothers attempts to help it along "How one frail member can enfeeble an entire flock?"

She watched as her father walked toward the flock. The turtleducks scattered, except for the runt that couldn't move away fast enough. Ozai stepped forward and put his foot on the runt, holding in place, the mother quacked and pecked at his boot, trying to protect her young, but to no effect. Azula looked on, frozen. Why was her dad...

He applied a slight bit of pressure, the turtleduck let out a quack. Azula gasped in horror. Then her father stepped down, a sickening crunch followed by the frantic and strained quacking the wounded turtleduckling.

Azula screamed.

He lifted his foot. The injured turtleduckling writhed on the ground, half crushed.

"There's nothing left to do now except end it's misery." Ozai turned to look down at her "You have the power for that Azula. Use it if you don't want to watch it suffer." Her father instructed with a sickeningly sly calmness to his voice.

Azula looked up at her father, not understanding what he wanted her to do, or why he'd done this in the first place. She opened her mouth to answer, her bottom jaw quivering, but nothing came out. She simply starred at her father in disbelief.

"I... I don't want..."

"What you "want" has nothing to do with this." He snapped at her. "You only have one option. Do what must be done."

She slowly raised her shaking hand and pointed it at the struggling creature. She squeezed her eyes shut and with a slight motion of her hand, produced a small weak puff of yellow flame.

She heard a high pitched noise she didn't know a turtleduck could make. Then nothing. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at the tiny smoldering body. It as no longer moving. Wisps pf gray smoke swirled of it as lines of deep orange traced around it's body, burning up the remaining feathers.

"Very good Azula" Ozai said to her smiling.

Azula said nothing, still in disbelief at what her father had made her do. She wanted to cry but no tears came, her mind was still reeling, unable to put any reason to this action.

"Do you know why I've done this Azula" He asked her.

Azula barely heard him, her attention still fixated on the dead turtle duckling. She felt cold, her body began shaking, but she was still too shocked to cry. She felt a hand close around her chin and grip hard. Azula whimpered in pain as Ozai yanked her head in his direction, forcing her to look at him.

"When I ask you a question Azula, you will answer me"

Still trembling, she looked at her father, wide eyed and fearful.

He repeated his question. "Do you understand why this had to be done?"

Azula shook her head. Ozai smiled and released his firm grip on her chin. He redirected her attention back to the charred body.

"Weakness, is like an infectious disease. It doesn't just corrode and stifle the one afflicted with it, but causes the others around it to suffer as well. Why should the other, stronger offspring be neglected simply because this one..." Ozai gestured his hand at the burnt turtleduckling. "...was born with such obvious deficiencies."

He kneeled down in front of her and put his hand firmly on her shoulder. "I know this may seem cruel, but it is necessary. By doing this, you've ensured the prosperity and well being of the others. That is why weakness cannot be tolerated. You'll understand this in time."

Ozai stood up, turned and spoke to her over his shoulder. "I believe that's enough for today." He said as he walked away, leaving her to alone by the pond.

She looked at the burned body of the turtleduckling for another few seconds. She turned away, took a few step and fell to her hands and knees. As soon as her palms hit the ground, Azula heaved and threw up.

Azula, the older one, stood watching, her face expressionless. This was a memory she couldn't deny, this had happened. Though she hadn't remembered being so timid about it. She looked down at herself, disgusted by the little girls reaction. It was just a turtleduck and her father had been right in his actions. It was lessons such as these that had made her what she was, made her strong.

She'd had enough of this dream, of these memories.

"Such a cruel lesson to teach a child." She heard here mother's voice from behind her.

Azula didn't turn to face her. She stood for a moment, still watching the little girl on her hands and knees crying into a puddle of her own vomit. Azula turned and spoke over her shoulder "It was necessary."

Her mother didn't respond. She turned to see her mother only to find she was no longer in the palace. She now stood in an alleyway. The same alleyway she'd been in earlier that day, back in New Chung-ling.

She heard the echo of footsteps around her. Once again, she couldn't pinpoint a direction as it seemed to be coming from everywhere. The noise faded then returned once again, this time directly behind her. She turned as a small child ran past her, laughing. It was the same little girl Yu had helped earlier that day, which led to them almost getting captured.

The girl was gone as quickly as she had appeared. though the sound of her footfalls remained. Then, those were gone too, giving way to a new sound. There were voices in the air. Not the multitude of voices that should exist in a city. Just two. It sounded like an argument coming form further down the alleyway.

Though not wanting to do anything now but wake from this dream, Azula couldn't help but be drawn towards the voices. As she got closer, she recognized one of the voices as her own.

She moved down the alley and saw herself holding Yu against the wall, berating him for his foolishness.

_"What was I supposed to do? just walk away from a crying little girl that needed help."_

"Yes you idiot, that's exactly what you were supposed to do" She yelled back. Her perspective had shifted. She was no longer watching from the outside, but holding Yu against the wall, reenacting the events from this afternoon.

_"No one was helping her, I couldn't just leave her alone"_

She felt her fingers close tightly into a fist as she once again felt that same fury rise within her. All she wanted to do was hurt him. It was just something about what he said, or maybe how he said it. She couldn't explain it. All she knew was that it stirred something inside her she'd rather not be feeling..

_"No one was helping her, I couldn't just leave her alone" _He repeated.

There'd be no interruptions this time. She pulled back her fist. Dream or not, she'd beat on him until her anger and jealousy subsided...

She stopped. She let him go and took a few clumsy steps back, confounded by her own thoughts. _Jealousy? Was that what I was feeling? No, that... that couldn't be it. Why would..._

"He made you remember. That's why you became so enraged" Ursa's voice came from behind her.

"Remembered what!" She yelled out, spinning around to face her mother. Ursa was standing just across the alleyway from her. The younger Azula sat on the ground next to her, balled up and crying as she had been when Azula first saw her.

Ursa kneeled down next to the little girl and put her hand on her head. Azula looked away in disgust. Ursa looked to Azula "That there was a time, when you were just like that little girl..." Ursa looked back to the younger Azula, still sitting against the wall and crying. "...except that, when you wanted it, when you needed it no one came to help you"

Azula's rage exploded. "I don't need anyone's help! I'm not that WEAK!_" _She screamed, throwing out her hands and bathing the alleyway in blue fire. She pulled her hands back, but the fire wouldn't stop. Unrestrained and out of control, the flames pouring from her hands intensified. Azula tried to scream, but all that issued from her mouth was more flames. The fires curled around her, consuming her. Panic seized her, she tried to run...

Azula snapped awake, disoriented. She was lying on her back, staring up at the morning clouds, It took her a second to figure out why they seem to sway and move in such an odd manner, she was on a boat. She sat up, shaking the remnants of sleep from her head. Her cheeks and neck were wet. As she reached up to wipe away her tear streaked face, she saw Yu looking back at her. The look of concern on his face was the absolute last thing she wanted to see right now.

_This is your fault. _She thought looking back at him.

"What exactly do you think your doing?" She said.

"It sounded like you were... I just wanted... "

"Let me guess." She said, cutting him off while responding mockingly "You just wanted to help!"

Yu Didn't know what to say, or what he'd done to make her angry this time.

She stood up and looked down at him. She spoke slowly, hissing each word through her nearly clenched teeth,. "Do I look like some pathetic little girl that needs your help?"

Yu just sighed, shook his head and turned away without answering. He gripped the oars and satrted rowing again.

Azula was exasperated "Don't you dare you turn your back on me! I demand that..."

She heard him stifle a laugh. Which did nothing to quell her quickly rising temper.

"Care to explain what you find so humorous"

He respond without turning around. "I was just thinking, you're a lot easier to get along with when you're asleep" He said, doing nothing to hide his annoyed amusement.

It wasn't his comment that finally set her off. It was the attitude that went along with it. She finally realized why she disliked him so much. More than her father's missing statue. More than her lack of servants and soldiers. More so then even being on the run like she was now. It was this one little thing that drove home her situation the hardest, this was the most difficult thing to get used to.

He didn't fear her.

A month ago, no one would have dared show her such disrespect.

She stepped foreword and grabbed him by the back of the shirt. With a sharp tug, She pulled him off his bench and slammed him onto the bottom of the boat. He lay there, momentarily stunned by her attack. She swung around and planted one knee on his stomach, pinning him down. She leaned in close, grabbing the front of his shirt in one hand and pulled him up so they were face to face.

"I think it's time I gave you a greater appreciation of who it is you're dealing with" She said as a chilling smile slowly creased her face.


	10. Chapter 9: The Earth Kingdom

**Chapter 9**

_The Earth Kingdom_

Yu, recovering from his initial shock, looked up at Azula.

_Now I know why she was in that hospital. This girl is completely insane._

"What are you gonna do" Yu asked "Light me on fire?"

The belligerence in his voice only served to stoke her anger more. Azula lowered herself so their faces where almost touching and whispered "I don't need fire to hurt you."

Yu had enough. He lifted his leg, intending to kick Azula off. But as soon as he moved, she sprung herself up into a hand stand, easily avoiding his clumsy attack.

She paused, still in a handstand above him, and shifted all her weight to one hand., she quickly jabbed two fingers of her free hand into his throat, causing him to recoil and gag. It wasn't a hard strike, but to such a sensitive target, it didn't need to be. Yu grabbed his throat and rolled away from her, toward the back of the boat as she somersaulted to her feet, landing at the bow.

Yu got to his feet as fast as he could and spun around to face her. As soon as he did, he felt something against the back of his right foot. She'd already moved in and hooked her foot behind his. In one swift motion, she pulled his feet out from under him, sending him crashing to the deck once again.

Yu hit hard, knocking the wind out of him. He looked up at Azula, now standing above him looking down with a cruel smile on her face. He didn't know if it was the fact that she was actually enjoying this, or how easily she was handling him that made him more angry. Either way, he'd had enough.

_Girl or not, _he thought to himself, _it's time to get serious._

...

_...Five minutes later..._

_..._

Yu sat at the back of the boat breathing heavily, glaring at Azula with the eye that wasn't swollen shut. His nose was bleeding, running down his face and mixing with the blood running from the corner of his mouth. His right hand kept switching between rubbing his throat and his jaw, the pain from both competing for his attention. His left hand was holding his right shoulder, which he was having trouble moving. He was also soaked to the bone, having been thrown off the boat... twice.

Azula sat legs crossed, her hands cupped together on top of one knee, staring back at him from the front of the boat, completely unscathed. She hadn't even broken a sweat. Her crooked smile highlighting the contemptuous satisfaction on her face.

"Well" she said to him "That wasn't very satisfying, you have the fighting skills of a half dead rabbit-weasel. It's actually disappointing how little effort I actually had to use."

Yu simply glared at her, taking a few moments before responding. When he did, he delivered his words very slowly and deliberately.

"I don't like you" was all he said.

"Careful" Azula said, putting her hand to her chest and feigning insult "You might hurt my feelings."

"Like you have any".

She stood up and started moving towards him. Yu lifted his hands into a defensive position as a reaction.

Azula waved her hand, brushing him off. "Oh please, like I'd waste any more of my skill or time on someone so undeserving of it." She grabbed the rope from the bottom of the boat and threw it to him.

"I've wasted enough time on this foolishness. Rig your controls so we can be underway" She said, pointing at the rudder.

"Gladly" he said as he wiped the blood away from his nose and mouth. Yu stood up and grabbed the rope while keeping his eyes fixed intensely on Azula, doing nothing to hide his resentment.

"If your that upset about it" She said while motioning a hand out at the open ocean. "you can leave any time you'd like."

He went back to preparing his improvised rudder controls without saying another word. Azula turned and looked out over the ocean. While seemingly content and calmer on the outside, she couldn't help but be bothered by what she'd just done. Not that hurting someone, especially _this_ someone, brought her any particular discomfort. It was admittedly a rather enjoyable distraction from the dream she'd woken from. The problem was, she'd let her emotions get the best of her. It wasn't like her.

She'd lost control, and now because of it, she'd jeopardized the plans she had for him. Now she'd have to waste more time and energy convincing him to stay. Not that it would be difficult. Yu had so far proven an especially easy target for her manipulations, but it was something she shouldn't have to do. Not if she'd just kept herself under control.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Wait" Yu yelled back "You're honestly trying to tell me that you beating me up was... my fault?"

They'd gone nearly half the day with neither of them saying a word. After taking a break from propelling the boat (at a more manageable constant pace than their panicked flight from the airship the day before), Azula took the time to stir Yu's brain a bit.

"Well, that's a rather brutish and simplistic interpretation of what it was I was trying to explain, but yes, in essence." The audacity of her argument left him momentarily dumbstruck. Azula used the moment to continue.

"After all, I'm stuck on a boat in the middle of the ocean and I wake to find you, a person the Fire Nation obviously thinks is dangerous enough to necessitate the use of an airship to apprehend, reaching suspiciously towards me..."

"Whoa, whoa, wait. What did you just say." Yu jumped in, more than a little confused.

Azula looked up innocently, betraying no outward sign of her inner satisfaction that he'd taken the bait so effortlessly.

"You really think they sent that airship for... me?"

"It certainly wasn't for my benefit" Azula lied. "You show up at a hospital, claiming to be from the Earth Kingdom then suddenly and without provocation attack the place. Looking at all this from the Fire Nation perspective. They probably assume it's some kind of retaliation for the war. Of course they're desperate to catch you. For all they know, this could be the first in a wave of retaliatory attacks."

Yu cringed to himself. She had a point.

"In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the Fire Nation was already in the process of trying to alert the Earth Kingdom as we speak. In a matter of weeks, your face could be plastered all around every major city on the continent. That is... If you last that long."

"But... then why are we going there" Yu stammered out.

"To be honest, I simply hadn't thought about all this until now. Look, since you did help me escape, I guess I could help you out a bit longer... That is, if you can put this mornings little incident behind you. I of course understand completely if you want to head out on your own once we land..."

Azula stood up and readied herself to continue the journey. She'd given him enough to think about for now, no need to pile on too much at a time. Yu sat silently at the front of the boat, mulling over everything she'd just said.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

* 2 Days later*

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Azula moved through the streets of modest but busy fishing village they'd docked at. She pulled her hat forward, hiding her face just in case. She glanced to her right at Yu, following in step just a bit behind her lead.

She'd not let up the entire time they were at sea. Constantly dropping subtle hints and suggestions that the Fire Nation was desperately hunting him down, and that without her help, he'd be equally doomed in the Earth Kingdom. By the time they'd made landfall earlier that morning, Yu made no effort to leave. Though, unbeknown to her, his reasons for staying had very little to do with her attempted manipulations. Yu had plans of his own.

He glanced over, looking at her out of the side of his eye.

What it really came down too was one offhand comment that she'd meant as a threat. _ "In a matter of weeks, your face could be plastered all around every major city on the continent. That __is... If you last that long"._

It was really something she should have given more consideration to before saying it. For someone in his situation, not knowing who he was or where he was from, having his face on wanted posters spread all over the Earth Kingdom was the first good thing to come out of all this.

Of course, those posters would only circulate as long as he were free. That's why he needed her. He'd already proven woefully insufficient at avoiding and escaping soldiers back in the Fire Nation. As much as he hated to admit it, the only reason he wasn't in chains already was because of her. So, as unstable and dangerous as she seemed to be, staying with her seemed the only sure way to stay free long enough for his plan to take effect.

Azula walked with purpose, keeping slightly ahead of Yu. She moved through the crowds of people with an apprehensive gracefulness, taking great care as to not actually touch or be touched by any of them. While the two of them stopped occasionally to pick up the necessary supplies, Azula wanted nothing more than to move away from the coast as fast as possible. A centralized location farther within the mainland would be a better place to rest, as well as offer more avenues of escape... just in case.

Her brother would have to wait for permission to enter the Earth Kingdom officially, but that didn't mean he wouldn't have already sent men covertly to come looking for her.

Fortunately, with the peasant she'd acquired, keeping abreast of any firebenders would be absurdly easy. What with hardly any of them actually being in the Earth Kingdom anymore, they'd stick out like a sore thumb to Yu's senses.

All she had to do now was wait. Zuko was anything if not predictable. It wouldn't be long before his frustration and "honor" drove him to come looking for her himself. He wouldn't come alone of course, but neither would he risk bringing too many troops with him into the Earth Kingdom during such a delicate time.

_...Azula please, this isn't what you really... _A small voice in the back of her mind spoke up. Azula dug her fingernails into her forearm, using the pain to help herself focus on what she had to do and cutting the voice silent.

Suddenly, the dream she'd had days earlier came back to her. Despite her mother's attempted interference, she finally realized what she'd been trying to tell herself. She almost broke out into laughter right there in the crowded street, but held it back.

As her father had taught her all those years ago. She would have to do what was necessary, even if it was unpleasant. In that moment, the thoughts and plans that she'd been unable to focus on finally came together, solidifying within her minds eye the way they used to. Everything was clear now.

Zuko would still die, but killing him was only the beginning. And while she had no desire to see her homeland in turmoil, to make everything right again, it would be necessary. Yu, for his part, now seemed more essential than ever.

Once the Fire Lord was found dead inside the Earth Kingdom. The Fire Nation would see this as an atrocious act of retribution. Angry, confused and with no Leader to guide them, the citizens of the Fire Nation, Nobles and peasants alike, would began their own acts of retaliation. From that point, stoking the fires of a new war would take almost no effort at all.

And with this new war being waged by the angry, leaderless and unorganized masses, and seemingly started by an unknown element within the Earth Kingdom, there'd be no single person for the Avatar to make an example of to stop it. It would be like trying to stop a forest fire with a cup of water.

That was why Yu seemed almost like a gift from the spirits. In order for it all to work, there couldn't be any witnesses tying her to Zuko's death. With his ability to sense benders approaching from all directions, he could do the job of a dozen lookouts without the worry and trouble of having to silence that many accomplices. With him....

Azula stole a sideways glance at Yu and smiled.

...She'd only have to kill one.


	11. Chapter 10: Meanwhile

**I need to make an apology here. See, I only just realized that what I uploaded earlier this week was a rough draft of this chapter that I wasn't very happy with. After almost totally re-writing it (the first part is almost the same, but not nearly as drawn out and boring, but with some significant dialogue changes), I went and uploaded rough draft instead of the final.**

**(Long story short, I saved it into the wrong folder with the same chapter name as the final draft.)**

**Unfortunately, given my busy week, I only checked my account today and realized the mistake. So here, I present to you Chapter 10 as it should have been and I once again apologize for uploading that other convoluted mess of a chapter**

**So, without further ado, I present the REAL Chapter 10**

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**Chapter 10**

_Meanwhile_

_Nighttime, just outside the Fire Nation Capitol_

Zuko had been gone from the capitol longer than expected. It had been almost four days since he'd visited the hospital and another five since his men reported seeing, and loosing, Azula in New Chung Ling. He'd wanted to keep this as low key as possible. But, now that she was in the Earth Kingdom, that was no longer an option. He'd spent the last few days aboard his airship making preparations.

He'd sent a message to the Earth King, along with wanted posters, asking that they be circulated around all Earth Kingdom cities as soon as possible.

He'd also sent his Captain of the palace guards, Makato, and a few soldiers into the Earth Kingdom (disguised as civilians, since, under the new peace treaty, Fire Nation soldiers were strictly prohibited from entering the Earth Kingdom) to locate someone who's help in tracking Azula would be invaluable.

Zuko's airship finally arrived back in the capitol just as the sun was setting. After docking and being brought back to the palace, he made his way down the hallway leading to his private chambers.

He passed by his door without stopping. There was somewhere else he needed to go first. Questions he needed a certain someone to answer.

He neared the door at the end of the hall and reached toward the handle when a knife suddenly stuck into the wood only inches from his hand. Zuko jumped back and quickly turned, readying himself for a fight.

Mai was standing just down the hall from him, her hand extended. Her eyes steadily fixed upon Zuko.

"Mai What are you... " Zuko began to ask her in shock.

"Where are you're going?" She responded, her voice calm and even.

Zuko relaxed "To see my father. There are few things I need..."

"Stop" She interrupted, holding her hand up.

"What?" Zuko replied.

"You're doing it again" She said with a hint of annoyance.

"Doing what?" Zuko asked, bringing his hands up.

"You're letting this become an obsession." Mai responded.

"What's that supposed to mean" Zuko shot back defensively.

She just raised one eyebrow and looked at him. "You know exactly what I mean! You get so focused on something you start to lose perspective on everything else. "

He was ready to continue his argument, but her accusing stare disarmed him. She had a point and he knew it

"What am I supposed to do?" He said, raising his voice "Just sit here doing nothing?"

"Well running around franticly sure isn't helping you any" Mai said "I guess I'm just a little confused. Ever since I've know the two of you, you've been at each others throats one way or another. And that's not counting the times you've actually tried to kill one another over this last year. So I'm just wondering where this sudden concern for Azula is coming from"

"She dangerous, you know that as well as I..." He started in before Mai cut him off.

"I do know that, which is why I find it odd that you seem more concerned _for _Azula then about her. You've been acting strange ever since this all started and I want to know why?"

"So you're not concerned about her" He asked, trying to steer the conversation away from himself.

"Honestly, no." Mai answered bluntly. Noticing Zuko's eye twitch at her answer, she felt the need to continue. "She tried to kill you. Then, after I helped you, she tried to kill me. If Ty Lee hadn't stepped in, she probably would have. This was from someone that supposed to be my friend. So please, explain to me why it's suddenly so important to save her."

Zuko looked down at the ground in front of him. As much as he wanted to be, he couldn't bring himself to be angry with her. She was more than justified in her resentment for Azula.

"She wasn't always like that" He said, still looking at the ground between them. "When we were little, we used to play together all the time. She was never cruel or scheming back then...." He stopped talking, his eyes watered up as he remembered them as children, just a normal brother and sister. He raised his head and met her eyes. "My father made her this way. I just..."

As he talked Mai walked foreword and put her hands on either side of his face. "Zuko, I hate to say this. I know that, even after everything she's done, you still care about her. But that little girl you remember may not exist anymore. I certainly never met her."

Zuko hung his head and remained silent. Mai sighed and spoke softly in his ear.

"I need you to answer something. Not for me but for yourself."

Zuko was surprised, her words came out softer then he was used to hearing. It may have been just to get his attention, and if so, it worked.

"What is it" He said looking directly into her eyes.

"Are you really doing this for Azula, or this another way to get back at your father?"

"I'm not sure what..." Zuko responded apprehensively.

"I think you know exactly what I mean. Your father took someone away from you, now you have a chance to take someone away from him."

Zuko didn't have a response. At first he was angry that she'd even think that of him, but could she be right? Could I be using this as another way to fight him, to attack him. He didn't think so, but now that she brought it up, he couldn't be so sure.

He looked back at her and smiled "You're starting to sound like my Uncle."

"Well, someone needs to look after you" She said as she leaned in and kissed him.

"C'mon" She grabbed his hand and turned, pulling down the hall. "Either way, the only place your going tonight is bed." She stopped for a moment and spoke without turning to face him. " And I want you to think about what I asked you. For your own sake."

Zuko sighed "I guess I could use some sleep."

Before she started walking again, she turned her head to look at him, and with a smile added "Who said anything about sleep."

* * * * * * * * * *

_Meanwhile... early the next morning, somewhere in the western Earth Kingdom._

Yu looked at the instruments displayed among the shop selves. None of them seemed to really draw his attention, but ever since he'd made the accidental discovery that he knew how pick a lock and handle a boat, he'd become curious as to what other talents might remain hidden inside him. He picked a flute up off the shelf and blew into it. A shrill sound filled the air as Yu tried, and failed miserably, to play the flute.

The other patrons in the shop all cringed and covered their ears as what sounded like a catweasel being wrung out like a wet towel echoed mercilessly through the air. Yu pulled the flute away from his lips and set it back on the shelf. He smiled sheepishly at the other shoppers and started to apologize when he was quickly pulled out of the store by the back of his shirt.

Azula yanked Yu into the street and pulled him aside. She stared at him a moment, before turning around and doing her best to calm herself. She closed her eyes tightly and pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers.

_This is what it must be like to have a child _she thought in frustration as she struggled to retain her composure. _If he keeps this up,_ she thought, _I may just deal with him long before Zuko arrives. _

She turned back around and interrupted Yu as he began to apologize. "You do realize that we're trying to keep a low profile. No part of which entails you drawing as much attention to yourself as possible!"

"I was just thinking..."

"No, you weren't. Which seems to be a rather consistent problem of yours. From now on, I'll do the thinking. All you need to do is tell me when you sense firebenders near. Is that understood."

"Yeah yeah, got it."

"Good. Now see what you can do about getting us a map and whatever other supplies we might need and meet me back here."

Azula watched with narrowed hawk like eyes as Yu walked off and into another shop. Ever since they'd landed three days ago, Azula had been doing her best to try and act friendly, though it wasn't easy. While she'd been in situations before where she was required to act submissive to achieve her means, such as dealing with Long Feng, this was the first time she had to do so with someone so far beneath her. It grated on her nerves and wore away at her willpower, but she persevered. She did what she could to clear her mind and tried to concentrate on her plans once again. Over the last few days, she'd come across one major obstacle to using her brother's death as a catalyst to starting a new war. Her uncle, Iroh.

While the death of his own son, her cousin Lu Ten, seemed to have stripped the tea loving coot's desire to rule, she couldn't be certain Zuko's death would have the same effect. If anything, he might take the mantle of Fire Lord simply to ensure neither she or her father...

_Even after everything he's done to you... _her mothers voice flowed into her ears _…your still trying to fight for him?_

"Done to me?" Azula said out loud "You mean for me. Father always had my best interests at heart. He even named me Fire Lord..."

_A title that no longer had any meaning. He abandoned you Azula, you know that..._

She felt a lump catch in her throat, but forced it away. She wouldn't let her mother win. "Well, we've at least come upon a subject you have a bit of expertise on." Her voice taking on a venomous edge. "How dare you accuse HIM of abandoning me! You're the one..."

Azula stopped herself short when she realized she was beggaring to draw a small crowd. People all around her where beginning to stare at the girl arguing with no one. They began to look away and disburse as soon as Azula stopped and looked up. Of course, they couldn't hear her mother's voice the way she could. Azula realized that to them, she must sound...

...crazy.

Azula felt her breath catch in her throat for a moment before shaking her head at the thought. No, that wasn't it. She didn't know how her mother was doing it, something to do with the spirit world perhaps, but it was her mother doing it. Her mind was still her own, the one thing she still had control of. She wasn't imagining it, she couldn't be. If that we're the case...

_...then that would mean your brother really was trying to help you, _Ursa's voice filled her head once again.

"Stop it! I know what you're trying to do and it won't work!" She said out loud once again.

"I was just doing what you asked me to." A familiar voice startled her. She turned to see Yu standing next to her with a map and small bundle of traveling goods. How long had he been standing there she wondered, her anger at him quickly returning.

She eyes him suspiciously for a moment, wondering whether or not he'd been listening to her. She swiped the map from his hands. "Let's keep moving".

* * * * * * * * * *

_Meanwhile... later that same day, outside a seedy Earth Kingdom tavern_

Captain Makato looked at the tavern in confusion.

"Is this... is this really where the Fire Lord wanted us to go?"

He looked over his shoulder at one of the soldiers behind him, who simply shrugged his shoulders.

How could anyone here possibly be of any help in finding the princess?

Makato entered the tavern and found exactly what he expected. Rowdy drunks, smoke filled air and the suspicious glances of leery patrons. He looked around for the person they'd been sent here to find. A woman with pale skin, dressed in black and a red snake tattoo on her right shoulder. That had been the Fire Lords description. Makato glanced about the tavern when his eyes suddenly stopped woman sitting by herself at one of the tables. Compared to the rest of the rabble, she looked completely out of place, she was gorgeous. It was only after starring at her for a few moments that Makato realized that this was the woman they'd been sent here to find.

Shaking his head and regaining his composure, he walked up to the her, his men following closely behind him. As he approached, she shifted her chair back and kicked her feet up on the table. Though she seemed to have noticed them, she kept her eyes on her drink an didn't acknowledge their presence. After a moment, she leaned her head back and addressed Makato.

"So, you just enjoying the view, or did you need something?" Her eyes locked on him as she spoke.

"We were sent to hire you for a job" He replied.

"No thanks" She said bluntly and went back to her drink.

"Don't... don't you even..." Makato began to say before being cut off.

"No." Jun said dismissively. She kicked her feet off the table, sat upright in her chair and spun around to face them. "I don't care what the little prince... guess I should call him Fire Lord now, wants. Tell him I don't feel like tracking down little bald kids or perverted old men at the moment. I've got my own problems to deal with."

"How did you know we were..." Makato began to ask. Jun looked at him with a half smile and spat out a short laugh.

"Please, I can spot a soldier when I see one, even out of uniform. And the only reason you'd be disguised is if you're Fire Nation. Here, you look like you could use this more than me." She handed her half empty glass to Makato and started to walk toward the exit.

Makato set the drink on the table and headed after her.

"Wait, this is important!" He said in an attempt to stop her.

"Always is" Jun said dismissively over her shoulder as she walked away.

She left the tavern, Makato and his men followed. They caught up to her outside, just as she mounted her shirshu.

Makato tried reasoning with her once again. "We can offer you a rather substantial amount of...."

"Double it" Jun said looking down at them.

"I... I havn't even told you how mu..."

"Double it anyway"

"I don't have the Fire Lords permission to do..."

"Oh, that's a shame. See ya" She cracked her whip, causing the shirshu to jump to it's feet.

"Fine, anything. Just listen to us" Makato yelled up to her.

Jun paused and looked down at him from atop her shirshu. "Fine, let's see what you got"

Makato explained the situation while his men went and fetched a chest. They brought it over and set it down in front of Jun. Makato opened it and pulled out Azula's armor.

Jun shook her head and looked at Makato "Ya know, you could have just brought a sleeve, or maybe a sock, anything with her scent on it"

"The Fire Lord said to bring her armor, so we did" He responded in all seriousness

"Geez, and here I thought it was just the kid? All you Fire Nation types this stiff? " Jun asked.

The men simply looked back and forth at each other, not sure what to say.

"I'll take that as a yes" She turned away from them and called to her shirshu."Nyla!"

The animal lumbered over and sniffed the armor. It turned it's nose up in the air and sniffed a few more times. Nyla ran in a few circles, then scurried about thirty feet west of their position, then laid on the ground whimpering and scratching at it's nose.

"Looks like you boys are outta luck" Jun said.

"What's the problem?" Makato asked, confused.

"Well, whatever your lookin' for, it's west of here."

"...And?"

"That's the problem I was talking about earlier. Started about three days ago. Not sure why, but Nyla's not to keen on heading west. Something out there has him spooked, something he doesn't like the smell of. I've tried everything, but whatever it is, Nyla won't go any further west then this. Even getting him this far required some persuasion" She said while patting the whip on her belt.

She jumped back on Nyla and looked down to a dejected Makato "Well, that only leaves half a continent or so to search. Good luck boys."

With that, she gave a command to Nyla and rode off eastward.

Capitan Makato sighed "Seems this was a waste of time" he turned to his accompanying soldiers and looked down at the chest containing the princesses armor. "Pack it up, let's get out of here."


	12. Chapter 11: Convergence on Senlin

**Chapter 11**

_Convergence on Senlin Villiage_

_(...or, Meanwhile pt.2)_

_------------------------------------  
_

_The Earth Kingdom, somewhere east of Senlin Village_

She looked out toward the rising sun as her fellow warriors broke down last nights camp. The emerging dawns light gave her painted face an orange glow and warmed her cheeks.

The girl sat down and sighed longingly.

"I miss Sokka" the girl with the painted face said wistfully, catching the attention of another Kiyoshi warrior standing just behind her. She raised an eyebrow and tried to catch the girls attention by clearing her throat.

"You know Ty Lee, instead of daydreaming about _my_ boyfriend" Suki said to her "You could help us break down camp!"

Ty Lee's cheeks turned noticeably pink, even through her face paint. She gave a nervous giggle and rubbed the back of her head. "Oh sorry, did I say that out loud?" Ty Lee responded with embarrassment.

Ty Lee ran over and began helping the other girls.

Suki turned away from camp and looked out over the same sunrise Ty Lee had just been admiring. She thought about Sokka for a moment. She'd not seen him for just over a month now, and while she did miss him terribly, she didn't allow herself to be as vocal about her emotions as Ty Lee was. As leader of the Kiyoshi Warriors, she couldn't let her personal life get in the way of her duty.

With one last thought about the man she loved, she turned and called her warriors to gather by her. They lined up and stood at attention.

"As you all know, we're finally closing in on General Changdao and his so called Phoenix Brigade. Which consists of some of Ozai's most loyal troops. This is the largest and most well organized group of loyalists we've assigned to track so far. So keep in mind that this is reconnaissance only! Under no circumstance are we to give away our position and engage the enemy until reinforcements are contacted and arrive. So I repeat, under no circumstances are we to engage the enemy by ourselves!"

Sukki paused for a moment and directed her attention at one girl in particular. "Not even if one of them is 'really cute'!"

Two of the other warriors tried to stifle chuckles while the rest simply smiled and shifted their eyes in Ty Lee's direction.

"Why are you looking at me?" Ty Lee responded, attempting to feign innocence.

Sukki simply raised one eyebrow and gave Ty Lee a look.

"Oh, come on" Ty Lee spoke up "It was only that one time!"

Some of the other girls were now visibly shaking as they tried to hold in their laughter.

Suki called the girls to order and continued.

"We still have a lot of ground to cover before we reach Senlin village, and that's when the real job starts. I'll go into town to talk to the villagers, The rest of you will spread out and search the woods near the town. The second you find anything, report back to me!"

Suki dismissed them and all the girls gave a slight bow to acknowledge they understood their orders. With that, all of the warriors, except one, went back to packing for the days travel.

"So hey, Suki" Ty Lee came running up behind her. "I kinda need to ask you something."

"Lee, if this is about earlier. It really didn't bother me. I..."

"Oh no, that's not it. I just had to ask a favor" Ty Lee said. Suki couldn't help but notice a slight nervousness in her voice.

"Is something bothering you?" Suki asked. "You seem worried?"

"I do, really? I mean, I didn't think it showed. Oh great, I hope I don't get frown lines. Worrying is bad for your skin you know and..."

"Ty Lee!" Suki interrupted, trying to get the acrobat off her tangent. "You said you wanted to ask me something?"

"Oh yeah. I was wondering, after we take care of this General whatsisname, you don't really need _ALL_ of us to hang around do you?"

"You're not... quiting are you?" Suki asked slightly taken aback. In her short time with them, Ty Lee had quickly become an essential part of the team, and a good friend. Not just to Suki, but to everyone. And, while her discipline was somewhat lacking, her fighting skill was undeniable, matched only by her infectious enthusiasm.

"Oh no, I didn't mean that. I love it here." Ty Lee respond quickly (and much to Suki's relief) I just wanted to go home for a bit. Well, not _home_ home, but you know, back to the Fire Nation. I was just thinking about, uh... visiting a friend."

"Well, yeah, I really don't see a prob... " Suki stopped as a sudden realization popped into her head. "Wait a minute. Which 'friend' are you talking about?"

"Uh, no one... Just a friend" Ty Lee said with an uncharacteristic sheepishness.

"You're talking about _her_ aren't you... Ty Lee, she..." Suki stopped herself. She may not like the idea, but it wasn't really her business. If that was what Ty Lee really wanted, who was she to try and stop her?

"Is it really that strange?" Ty Lee asked innocently, noting Suki's confusion.

"I guess I just don't understand how you can still think she's your friend after all that. You know she's probably not going to want to see you."

"Oh, I know, but I figure she could really use someone to talk too, especially now." Ty Lee's smile faded as she spoke. When she continued, it was in a tone far more somber than Suki was used to hearing from the acrobat.

"I always had a bad feeling something like this might happen to Azula... I could see it in her aura. It was always so... Fuzzy? No, that's not right. Bubbly? Well, that's not really a good word to use for Azula. Uh, kinda bumpy I guess, or maybe wiggly?"

Suki shook her head and jumped in, cutting off Ty Lee as she bagan to ramble on about auras (something that always left Suki feeling a bit lost).

"Alright, alright." Suki said to her "After we deal with Changdou, You can go visit whoever you want, just be careful. That's an order!"

"Thanks" Ty Lee said as she threw her arms around Suki and hugged her before back flipping away to join the other Kyoshi warriors.

------------------------------------

_Meanwhile... that afternoon. South of Senlin Village_

"General... General Changdao" A young soldier came running into camp, gasping for air in between words.

The General, a tall barrel chested man with stern features, short gray hair and a long graying goatee, had been in a meeting with his officers, planing their movements for the coming days. He held up his hand to silence the soldier while he finished. After a moment, the General turned to acknowledge him.

"What is it soldier" He said, clearly annoyed at the intrusion.

"The Avatars sky bison sir" He said quickly, still trying to catch his breath. "I saw it flying overhead just west of here. It seemed to be heading toward Senlin Village."

The general's silver eyes widened "The Avatar!" he exclaimed, rising to his feet. General Changdao put his hand to his chin, stroking his long gray streaked goatee. _This could be the opportunity we've been waiting for._

"Get the men mobile" He commanded the other officers gathered around him. "We leave within the hour, and send a spy off to the village immediately to find out what the Avatar is doing and where he's headed."

The General turned and looked towards a tent set up on the outskirts of camp.

"Go wake our guest." He ordered the soldier that had just given him the news. "We'll need his talents if were going to kill the Avatar."

The soldier hesitated.

"Is there a problem" Changdao said, loud and angry.

"Uh... no sir. It's just... that guy." The soldier said, nodding at the tent. "Do we really need his help. He's not even a soldier. I think we should have just left him where we..."

"Do you know why we've eluded capture while the rest of our brethren have become petty bandits or fallen to the fake Fire Lords forces?" Changdao interrupted with a disarming calmness.

"No sir" The soldier said, confused by the question and his generals sudden change in tone. "Why?"

"Discipline. That's why. Because we still adhere to discipline that made us strong under the true Fire Lord. Ozai didn't even hesitate to punish his own son for talking out of turn."

In a sudden flash of movement, Changdao grabbed the soldier by the back of the neck and slammed his head onto the planning table. The soldiers spear dropped from his hand as a yelp escaped his lips. Changdou quickly unsheathed his knife and buried the blade deep into the table top merely an inch away from the soldiers eyes.

"Without that discipline, we are nothing." Changdao said fiercely. He then leaned in close and spoke into the man's ear. His words sharper than the knife planted in front of the soldiers face. "If you ever again question my orders or show the slightest hesitation in responding, I will have your tongue removed. Is that understood!"

"YES, YES SIR" He yelled out in panic. His eyes wide with fear, still fixated on the knife.

The General released him. Once free, and without a second of hesitation, he ran towards the tent Changdao had been looking to just moments ago.

In truth, General Changdou was himself no loyalist. He was little more than a petty bully given a position of power, and he meant to keep what little power he could for as long as he could. To those means, he used the former Fire Lords name and title as a means to draw men to his "cause".

He would have never dreamed of actually facing the Avatar, but that was before he came across his newest recruit. With this new ally, crushing the Avatar now seemed a very real possibility. One Changdou wasn't going to pass up.

The General walked over and picked up the spear the soldier had dropped. He snapped the end off over his knee and planted the spear tip solidly into the ground. He turned to his lieutenant while pointing at the broken spear.

"By midnight tomorrow, I want Avatars head decorating this pike!"

------------------------------------

_Meanwhile... an hour earlier, in the skies near Senlin Village._

"Hey Aang, aren't we near Senlin village?" Sokka said while leaning over the side of Appa's saddle.

"Senlin Village?" Toph asked. "I don't remember a Senlin Village?"

"We were here two weeks ago." Katara said back to Toph. "Remember?"

"Like I'm supposed to remember every little town we stopped at during the last month!" She responded defensively.

"But I spent two hour's telling you all about Aang's spirit world journey when we were there!" Katara yelled back.

"Oh, that!" Toph said. "Sorry, but I kinda tuned you out when you started getting on about the spirit world" Toph said dismissively. "I remember something about a bear monster eating Sokka... or something like that?"

"It didn't eat me!" Sokka said, narrowing his eyes at Toph.

"That's kinda why we're headed there." Aang said, jumping into the conversation.

"You're gonna feed Sokka to a bear monster?" Toph sat up. "...Sweet!"

"Uh, no... what Katara said, about the spirit world." Aang paused for a moment, trying to think of a way to explain it, which was difficult since he still didn't fully understand the spirit world himself. "See, there's only certain places I can enter it from... I think. Hei Bai's statue was the first place I ever did. So, I was going to see if I could find out anything from there..." Aang trailed off, realizing it didn't sound like much of a plan.

"What's a Hei Bai?" Toph asked.

"The bear monster that ate Sokka" Katara said. "Like I told you already" she added under her breath while crossing her arms in annoyance.

"Hello! _it didn't eat me_?" Sokka said even louder. "Look, right here, uneaten!"

Momo jumped up on Sokka's head and hung his down face to upside down face with him while making a series of chirps and squeaks.

"See!" Sokka said loudly, pointing with both hands to the lemur on his head. "Momo remembers what really happened"

Ignoring Sokka, Aang continued."I Don't know if I can talk to the Moon spirit from here or not, but I'm hoping that _something_ in the spirit world might know what happened."

_...and what's still happening._ Aang thought as he and Katara exchanged a knowing look. Their blackout last week had only been the start of it. Ever since then. Their waterbending had been getting slowly weaker. Katara was the first to notice it.

While Sokka's recently broken leg was mostly healed (with help from Katara, though waterbending could only do so much with broken bones), jumping down from Appa's saddle to his head to keep Aang and Katara from falling off had stressed the injury. When Katara tried soothing it, she found it took more effort than it should have.

She brought it up to Aang the next day and, after a session of waterbending practice, both of them realized something was wrong. Their techniques required more effort than it should to control the water. It wasn't drastic, but over the last few days, it had become more and more noticable.

He broke his gaze with Katara and looked back out over the clouds. While he tried to reassure her and appear cheerful on the outside, deep down he was worried, very worried.

Over the last few night's, he'd tried to make contact with Yue during his meditations, but to no avail. So now Aang sought to fully enter the spirit world at Hei-Bai's statue. The problem was, the moon spirit's connection to the mortal world was strongest at the North Pole, so this may prove a useless endeavor. But Aang needed answers, and he needed them now. If he couldn't talk to Yue, he knew of another spirit, an older spirit, that may be able to provide him with the answers he sought.

He would need to seek out Koh.


	13. Chapter 12: Alone

**Chapter 12**

_Alone_

Yu woke up in the woods on the outskirts of town. He was still groggy, the events of last night kept playing out in his head and hadn't allowed for a very peaceful sleep. He stood up and ran his hands through his messy hair, shaking loose a few more shards of porcelain as he did. He caught one as it fell and rolled it over in between his fingers, then flicked the piece of broken vase it into the bushes.

_I can't believe I actually said that._ He thought to himself as he cleaned the remaining fragments out of his hair. It had been nothing but an innocent slip of the tongue. He hadn't really meant anything by it, though given where they'd first met, it really hadn't been a very smart thing to say.

He looked down at the burnt remains of his shirt hanging out of the top of his pants, realizing he'd have to venture town one more time to pick up a new one, not really sure how he was going to pay for it. He'd left his pack, and all his money, back in Azula's room at the Inn, and he wasn't going to risk returning there.

_Oh, well, I'll figure something out. _

Yu headed back towards the town, not sure where he was headed next.

_Well, looks like I'm on my own again._

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

_The Night Before_

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

"I refuse to spend one more night sleeping outside like some filthy wild animal, or worse, a commoner. " Azula said while looking at the small Inn. She turned back to Yu and added with false sincerity "No offense"

"Hey, I could be a noble for all you know" Yu retorted.

Azula just looked at him for a moment, then burst into laughter. Yu just stood and looked at her without amusement. Azula's laughter trickled off and finally stopped.

"But seriously. I'll be staying here." She motioned back to the Inn. It was small, only two stories and was in no way luxurious. In fact, by Azula's standards, this was only marginally better than sleeping on the ground. But given the amount of money left to them, this would have to do.

She addressed Yu once more. "Tomorrow, you will meet me out front exactly one hour after sunrise. Do not be late."

They parted ways and Yu headed towards the city gates to find a place a safe place to sleep outside of town.

His powers hadn't flared up again since the events at the hospital, and Yu was beginning to get anxious. He knew it could happen again at any time and wanted to spend as little time in town as possible.

Because of that, Yu insisted they stay close to the edge of the city when they arrived in the Earth Kingdom city of Shenjing late this afternoon... just in case. While his request seemed to annoy her (something Yu was beginning to secretly enjoy), Azula could appreciate that accidentally lighting a city on fire was _not _the best way to remain inconspicuous. So she reluctantly agreed to find an Inn on the edge of town.

As he neared the city gates, he stopped.

"Oh yeah" Yu said to himself aloud. "The map!"

He turned and headed back to the Inn.

He asked the Inn keeper about Azula, and was directed up the stairs to her room. As he neared the door to the room she was staying in, he thought he could hear her talking to someone. It sounded as if she were in the middle of a heated argument, but he could only hear one voice, hers. He stopped at the door and considered turning around when it suddenly flew open. A hand shot out, grabbed his wrist and gave a slight twist. Next thing he knew, he was lying on his back in the middle of the room hearing the door slam shut behind him.

He looked up to see Azula holding a ball of blue flame in her hand, ready to attack. When she saw it was him, she gave an annoyed huff and extinguished the flame.

"Oh, it's just you." She said impatiently standing above him. "Care to explain what you're doing lurking around outside my door?" She crossed her arms and asked suspiciously as he rolled to his feet.

"Sorry" He said, not really sure what he was apologizing for.

"I didn't ask for an apology I asked why you came here. I thought I made it clear that I didn't require you until morning!" She said more forcefully.

"I just wanted to borrow that Earth Kingdom map" He said, his attention moving about the room.

She raised an eyebrow and eyed him suspiciously, a gesture lost on him as his attention was focused on scanning the room.

"Figured I might as well try and familiarize myself with the area. It's not like I've got a lot to do out there. Other than just lay around waiting to fall asleep. Gets kinda boring" He explained, as his eyes passed over a vase full of flowers sitting on the dresser.

She looked him over hesitantly. "I'd hate to think you're considering..."

"Look, if I was going to run out on you, I would have done it already." Yu said, trying to convince her. "You can trust me"

"Ha!" She spat out. "What do you take me for? Of course I don't trust you, and unless you're a complete idiot, you don't trust me either. What we have is an arrangement of mutual convenience. If, for some reason, you've begun deluding yourself into believing there's anything more to this than that, well, you're an even bigger fool than I ever gave you credit for."

Yu was about to respond, but thought better of it. This just wasn't something worth butting heads over (especially since hers had so far proven to be much harder). Yu shook his head and turned to leave. He reached down to pick up his pack (which had fallen off at some point when Azula threw him to the ground, and was now lying on it's side next to the door) and mumbled an offhand comment without thinking about it.

"You know, if you go through life thinking that way, you're gonna end up going crazy..."

Yu froze, his hand hovering inches away from the top of his pack and his breath catching in his throat. The room went silent.

_Did I just say that? _Yu thought as a cold sweat broke out over his body. _Did I really just say that to the girl I broke out of a mental institute!? _

He slowly turned his head to look at her. Praying that, through some grand intervention of the spirits, she hadn't heard him. When he came to face her, he found himself locked in her stare. Apparently the spirits didn't like him much.

He could feel an inferno of rage boiling just behind her bright golden eyes. If looks could kill, there wouldn't be a single survivor left in the city.

That momentary silence felt like an eternity, but was finally shattered by Azula's slow and harshly spoken command spoken through clenched teeth.

"Get out!"

"I, uh..." Yu's tongue betrayed him, refusing to form any words.

A burst of blue flames hit his chest, turning his shirt almost instantly to ash. And while the flames couldn't hurt him, the force behind it sent him stumbling back against the wall.

She turned and grabbed the vase of flowers off the dresser and threw it at him.

"LEAVE" She screamed.

Yu ducked. The vase smashed against the wall behind him, showering his head and upper body with shards of porcelain, flowers petal and cold water. He quickly opened his eyes to make sure nothing else was flying in his direction.

"Get out of my site. You're bani..." She stopped herself mid-yell. Whatever she'd been about to say seemed to swell her anger even more. She drew in a deep breath, her right eye twitching. "I SAID LEAVE"

Yu wasn't about to keep arguing. He turned and yanked the door open, practically falling into the hallway and pulling the door closed behind him just as something else, more substantial than the vase, impacted on the other side.

He stepped back from the door and momentarily slumped against the wall on the other side of the hall. He took a few breaths to collect himself, then headed quickly downstairs.

"Is everything all right sir." the old woman that ran the inn asked as he came down. It was clear from the look on her face that the commotion upstairs hadn't gone unnoticed.

"Yeah" Yu said looking back up the stairs. "Yeah, every thing's... fine."

She didn't look convinced.

"I knocked a vase off the dresser and uh, she got mad at me for it. Sorry" Yu said unconvincingly (and doing nothing to explain why he was bare chested with the charred remains of a shirt hanging from the top of his pants).

He walked slowly out into the street and took one last look back at the Inn.

_Boy, that was stupid. I really should start thinking about what I say before I say it._

He looked up and down the street, trying to remember the way out of town, then headed towards one of the gates.

* * * * * * * * * *

Azula stood in the middle room. Her hands shaking as she drew in deep breathes in an attempt to calm herself. It wasn't working.

_What does a nothing like him know. Crazy... There's nothing wrong with me, this is all mother's doing that's all there is to it. That's all!_

"I don't like you" a child's voice came from behind her.

Frightened, Azula spun around to face the source of the voice. As soon as she did, her breath caught in her throat and her heart skipped a beat. Azula stood frozen in place, face to face with the younger Azula from her dream one the ocean.

Only this time, Azula wasn't sleeping.

"You're not a very nice person"

The little girl just sat there, her arms crossed, and looked straight at Azula. A scornful look adorned her small features . Azula felt as though something cold and horrible was gripping her heart. She couldn't move, she couldn't breath, she couldn't even think. This couldn't be happening. Her mother's voice was one thing. She knew that, somewhere out there, her mother was still alive and had, apparently, found _some_ way to communicate with her.

But _this__, _this was something different. How could... how was this possible?

The fear within her turned to panicked terror. She tried taking a few steps back, but her legs wouldn't respond. Instead, she tripped over her own feet, stumbling backward and falling. Her tail bone slammed into the hardwood floor, a stinging pain shot up her back, all the while her eyes stayed locked in transfixed horror at the young "her" on the bed.

The little girl uncrossed her arms, hoped off the bed, and took a few steps toward her.

Azula scrambled backward on her hands and feet. Franticly trying to put distance between her and this girl as she slipped on chunks of porcelain and flowers scattered about the wet ground. Her back hit the wall and she pressed as tightly against it as she could.

The girl stopped a few feet from Azula. Azula's breath came quick and heavy as she felt her heart pound against her ribcage. The little girl tilted her head slightly, looking on at Azula with an odd mixture of pity and anger.

"Why do you want to hurt my brother." She asked in a huff.

Azula's panic overtook her, she closed her eyes tightly and clamped her trembling hands over her ears and yelled out. "Stop it, stop it. You're..."

_**KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!**_

Azula jumped as her attention snapped toward the door. She quickly looked back in front of her.

The little girl was gone. She was alone in the room once again.

"Ex... excuse me!" she heard an older woman's voice through the door. "Is everything all right in there?"

Azula was silent for a moment, still looking around the empty room for any signs of the phantom girl.

She heard the old woman's voice once more. "Young lady... are you..."

"Everything's fine" Azula said in as steady a voice as she could manage.

"Are you sure? I thought I heard..."

_"I'm Fine"_ Azula responded more forcefully.

The woman didn't respond. There was a slight pause, then Azula heard footsteps moving away down the hall.

Her heart was still pounding, and her hands wouldn't stop shaking. Azula looked back at the bed, nothing about this made any sense, Azula didn't have any answers. She closed her eyes and pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them and leaning her head onto her knees. For the next few moments, the room had the eerie silence of a tomb, a silence that was pierced only by the sound of Azula sobbing.


	14. Chapter 13: Falling

**Chapter 13**

_Falling_

Yu reluctantly re-entered Shenjing hoping for nothing more than to find a shirt and possibly some money. Beyond that, he really didn't know. His main plan... his only plan of waiting around and hoping someone might recognize him from a wanted poster was still his only real agenda. Of course, without Azula...

He stopped walking for a moment, drew in a breath and sighed. While she defiantly wouldn't have been his first pick as a traveling companion (or second, or third... or four hundredth). It was nice having someone else around while it lasted. He pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind and headed for the town square, where most of the markets were located.

As he entered the square, something caught his eye on the city's message board. A small pamphlet with two faces on it. One of them he recognized immediately.

It was a wanted poster for Azula and... some guy? He was a bit surprised that a poster for her was already being distributed. He wondered how long it would take for...

_Wait a minute, is that supposed to be me? _

He stepped foreword, yanked the flyer off the board and quickly looked it over, trying to figure out if the other person on the poster was indeed supposed to be him. He quickly glanced over the writing next to Azula's likeness, not completely paying attention to what it said.

**WANTED: Princess Azula of the Fire Nation.**

Then under the picture of "him".

** And her accomplice**

There was a description of their crimes below that that Yu didn't bother reading.

""This looks nothing like me!" Yu yelled out, allowing his anger to overshadow his common sense and causing several people gathered around the news board to step back from him. With Yu's concentration focused on the flyer, he didn't notice the concerned looks his outburst had caused among the crowd, a few of whom took it upon themselves to rush off and fetch guards.

_Being seen on these things was part of my plan... Ok, so that was my entire plan! They got Azula's picture almost perfect, how come... wait a minute?_

Yu's eyes fixed on the text next to Azula's face once again. He read it a few times, then just let his eyes settle on it, starring as though doing so might somehow cause the ink to rearrange itself and hopefully spell out something different. To his disappointment, it didn't.

**Princess Azula of the Fire Nation.**

**Princess Azula...**

_**...Princess...**_

_You've got to be kidding me! She really is a princess! ...Though I guess that does explain the attitude._

"YOU, STAY WERE YOU ARE" A gruff voice yelled out from behind him.

His attention had been so focused on the flyer that he hadn't sensed several earthbenders closing in around him. With out another second of hesitation, Yu ripped the flyer off the board, picked a direction were he didn't sense any earthbenders, and ran.

He cursed himself for not paying attention to his surrounding as he heard the commotion build behind him. Fortunately, the square was dense with people, making it difficult for the earthbenders to attack him, but it was also making a quick getaway difficult.

Yu made it through the crowd and started down a side street when a large rock wall sprang up in front of him. He quickly turned down an alley, but didn't get very far. Another rock wall tore out from the stone buildings lining the alleyway and slammed shut like a gate right in front of him. Yu slid to a stop. He didn't need to turn around to know he was trapped, he could sense six earthbenders standing just behind him, blocking the only way out.

He turned around to face seven guards (one of them apparently not an earthbender). One guard, and older man, stepped forward and pulled out a pamphlet. Yu couldn't see it, but assumed it was a copy of the flyer he'd pulled off the board.

"You're right kid, this really doesn't look like you." He said stroking his chin. "Thanks for alerting us anyway" He added with a smile.

Yu suddenly ran forward and threw a punch at the older earthbender. The man easily deflected his attack to the side and, with the same arm, stepped in and struck Yu in the chest with his elbow. Yu stumbled back , steadied himself and came foreword with a kick. The earthbender ducked underneath it and kicked Yu's other foot out from under him.

Yu landed on his back then quickly rolled to his feet and attacked once again. He charged the man, Jumping into the air yelling while delivering a mighty flying kick (in his own mind at least).

The older guard shook his head and simply stepped aside, stuck out his arm and let Yu clothesline himself as he went flying by.

Yu landed back on the ground, except this time he didn't bother getting up. He'd just been easily defeated by an earthbender that hadn't even bothered using any bending.

_Ok, so Azula was right, I really do suck at this. _He thought while looking up at the sky framed by the guards standing in a circle around him.

Several hands grabbed him and drug him up off the ground. A pair of thin metal shackles were clamped on his wrists as he was spun around to face the older soldier that had just bested him.

"It's not you we really care about. Just tell us where she is, and we can make this easier on you."

In that moment, it became utterly obvious to him that everything Azula had convinced him of over the last week, about the Fire Nation desperately hunting _him_down, had been nothing but a complete and totally lie. It was _her _they'd been after the whole time. He thought about what the man said. He didn't know if it was something in his voice or the sincerity in his eyes, but Yu honestly believed he was telling the truth. If he gave up Azula, he might still be able to get out of this. Maybe they could even help him.

With that knowledge at hand, Yu Looked up at the soldier and gave his answer.

"No"

The guards eyes narrowed. "Why not! You don't look like a Fire Nation soldier... so you're not a loyalist. Why are you protecting her?"

_Why AM I protecting her?_ Yu thought, almost as confused by his own response as the guards were. _ It's not like I have any real reason to, not anymore. Giving myself up and trying to explain what happened could actually be the best course of action here... _

Yu looked down and though it over for a moment.

_...so why do I have no intention of doing so?_

Yu looked up at the older man that had so easily bested him only moments ago. _Why bother protecting her?_ It was a question Yu couldn't even answer himself, much less explain to the man standing in front of him. Of course, Yu had a good idea the grizzled old guard wouldn't exactly be interested in having a long drawn out discussion concerning Yu's current inner conflict. Instead, Yu decided on a far more succinct answer to sum up the rather confusing thoughts and emotions rolling around in his head.

"Cause #?%$ you! That's why."

The old guard furled his brow and grunted "Then have have it your way. Take him back to the barracks" He motioned for two other guards to take him away. "You're only making this harder on yourself. She's got to be in town somewhere. We'll find the princess without your help. "

At the behest of the earthbenders, the wall behind him retreated back into the sides of the building. As the others turned and ran back to the town square, the two men escorted Yu down the now unblocked alleyway.

It was apparent they didn't think him much a threat (the fight they'd just witnessed probably gave them good reason), since they'd left only two guards to escort him (one of them wasn't even a bender) wherever it was they were going. Yu's hands were cuffed in front of him and attached to a belt around his waist. The guards walked behind him, a hand on either shoulder and spears at his back.

Yu tried to think of a way to escape. Even without his hands shackled, his abysmal fighting skills weren't going to help. Trying to break free of their grip and running wouldn't do much good either. The earthbender would just throw up another wall or encase his feet.

Yu looked down at his hands.

_Alright, NOW would be a good time to light on fire. _

Nothing happened.

_C'mon, just once work when I actually need you too!_

Yu looked at his hands, waiting and hoping for that burning white glow to appear. But still, nothing happened.

_I hate you. I hate you. I hate you._ Yu thought, as though his powers were something tangible and capable of receiving his anger. Just then, in his frustration, Yu remembered the broken and bent fork still in his front pocket. The same one he'd used to open Azula's shackles.

They apparently thought him so little a threat, they hadn't even bothered to search him. Yu felt for it, making sure to move slow enough as to not alert the two guards. Aha! It was there, his hand slowly closed around the end and drew it out. He very carefully, and with an almost painful slothfulness, turned it over in his hand and maneuvered it into the shackles lock on his other wrist.

Yu heard a small 'click' as the shackles released and pressed then against his belly so they wouldn't fall to the ground. Next, and with that same unbearable but necessary slowness, He worked to release the clasp that held the shackles to his belt.

Now free, he just needed to wait for the right time. While there were only two of them, they were still trained soldiers, one an earthbender, and Yu certainly wouldn't be able to take them in an outright fight. As they turned down a narrow alleyway, Yu realized that this would be his best chance. Yu came to a stop.

"Why are you stopping" The non-bender, a short man with a full beard asked harshly while stepping back and readying his spear.

"Uh, I just need to ask you something." Yu said, turning to look at the non-bender behind his left shoulder .

"Keep moving." He responded.

"It's kind of important."

"What is it" The soldier grumbled reluctantly.

"Could you hold these for me" Yu said, turning and throwing the shackles to the guard.

Reflexively, the man reached out as the shackles flew towards him, dropping his spear in the process. At that same moment, Yu dropped into a low crouch, and with all the strength his legs could produce, drove his shoulder into the earthbender, slamming him against the wall of the narrow alley and knocking him out cold. Then, without looking back, Yu broke out into a full sprint and fled.

Behind him, the sound of boots slapping the ground echoed off the walls, the other guard wasted no time in his pursuit. Instead of running out onto the main street, where reinforcements would be within earshot, Yu kicked open a door and ran up the flight of stairs just beyond it.

As he cleared the first floor, Yu could hear another set of footsteps franticly pounding up the steps behind him. Yu pushed up the stairs even harder.

By the time he hit the landing of the third flight of steps, Yu began to realize that this may not have been the best of stairs wouldn't go up forever, and once they stopped, he'd be trapped.

He made it up a fourth flight of stairs. The sounds of pursuit still just a flight below. Then, at the fifth flight of stairs, up finally ended. A short hallway with a single door at the end was Yu's only recourse. He ran over, yanked the door open and jumped inside. He quickly look around what appeared to be an old bedroom now being used for storage and ran over to the rooms one window and looked out, hoping for an avenue of escape but finding only a five story drop to the cobblestone street below.

That option gone, Yu looked around for something he could use as a weapon. The only thing he saw was an old black cooking pot sitting on a shelf by the door, but before he could even take a step towards it, the door burst open. The bearded guard stood, breathing heavily, with his spear at the ready.

Without a word, he charged forward, thrusting the spear at Yu. Yu dodged to the side, grabbing the shaft of the weapon as it moved past him. The guard yanked it back, trying to free the weapon from Yu's grip, but he held fast, trying to pull the spear away from his attacker. The soldier suddenly switched tactics and lunged forward, the change in momentum giving him the upper hand as Yu fell backward and slammed into the wall behind him. Despite this, Yu kept his grip tight on the weapons shaft.

Unable to break Yu's grip, the guard lunged forward again, twisting the spear sideways and pinning Yu against the wall. Yu did his best to fight back as the soldier pushed the spear against Yu's chest and pinning his own hands against his body. The guard pressed even harder, driving the breath from Yu's lungs

In desperation, and on the verge of passing out. Yu used the only weapon he had available. With as much force as he could muster, Yu threw his head forward.

There was a loud '_CRACK'__ , _like the sound of two stones being smashed together,as their foreheads collided. The guard reeled backwards and fell to the ground.

Yu stood for a moment, took a step forward, then also collapsed to the ground. Both Yu and the guard rolled about, hands on their heads writhing in pain.

Yu felt around his forehead making sure he'd not actually split his head open as the pain decided to explore the rest of his skull. Needles pressed in around his eyes as his eardrums started to throb, and the back of his jaw felt as though it was filled with shattered glass.

_How could anyone think that's an even remotely useful fighting maneuver! _A thought cried out among the agony_. I should've just let him kill me!_

Yu forced his eyes open just in time to see the guard making attempts to pull himself back to his feet. Though given his movements, it seemed he wasn't in much better shape than he was.

Yu tried pushing himself off the ground and looked for something to hold onto. He grabbed the edge of a bookshelf and started pulling himself up, a sudden pain induced onset of dizziness making the task that much more difficult. The guard grabbed the handle of the door and began pulling himself up but it swung open, throwing him back to the ground. He lay there for a moment, blinking his eyes as they refused to focus.

Yu was to his knees and making a valiant attempt to get his feet under him as the guard rolled over and pushed himself up to his hands and knees.

Yu go to his feet first. Then a sudden wave of vertigo made him hunch over, hands on his knees, fighting a sudden urge to vomit.

The soldier, now also on his feet, stood motionless, leaning against the wall as he fought down his own onset of nausea.

The two of them, finally upright, eyes each other for a moment. The thick bearded guard looked to his right and spotted the cooking pot. He grabbed it, put it on his head, then turned to Yu with a smile "Alright kid, let's try that again"

He charged Yu.

Yu reached down and grabbed the spear at his feet. He barely had time to bring it up before that man tried once again to pin Yu against the wall with it. But this time Yu was ready. Using the Guards own technique against him, Yu purposefully fell back on the ground and ducked under the guard as he launched over Yu and went careening (Yu assumed) into the wall behind them.

Unfortunately, since their positions in the room had changed during their struggle to stand, the wall was no longer behind Yu, but instead the window. The pot atop the guards head easily shattered the glass. Yu watched in horror as his adversary launched through the window and out into the air over a five story drop.

Yu didn't think, but simply reacted.. His hand shot up and closed around the guards ankle as he sailed out the window above him. Yu's grip was true, but his footing wasn't. The man's weight pulled Yu out the window right behind him.

With his free hand, Yu just caught the edge of the window sill. A small sliver of glass cut into his palm, but he didn't let go. With Yu holding tight, the guard swung down and crashed back into the building through a fourth story window just below them.

The force of the impact ripped Yu's other hand off the window sill, sending Yu plummeting towards the ground.

As he sailed past he broken fourth floor window, he saw a hand pop out. The guard tried in vain to catch Yu, but he was already a full story below him by the time the attempt was made. Time seemed to suddenly slow down. Yu watched as the floors moved passed him in slow motion.

Three floors left. Yu's eyes widened.

Two floors to go. Yu opened his mouth to yell, but nothing came out.

One more. Yu braced for oblivion.

He felt his back hit the ground, then suddenly everything went... Green? ...and mushy!

Yu lay there for a moment, surprised at his current "not-dead" status.

_How in the..._ he thought as he turned his head to look around. All around him, the street was littered with crushed cabbages. By pure luck, he'd managed to land on a cabbage cart, crushing it's contents, but saving his life.

He rolled out and quickly brushed off the cabbagey remains. He looked up and came face to face with it's very unhappy owner. He was starring incredulously at Yu, tears starting to well up in his eyes.

_Wow, this guy must really like his cabbages! _Yu thought.

Before Yu could apologize and thank him, the merchant screamed out. "MY CABBAGES!"

The man's heartfelt (for cabbages?), and very loud, plea didn't go unnoticed. Around the corner, came another set of guards running down the street in his direction. All of them earthbenders.

"STOP!" one of them yelled.

"NO!" Yu yelled back over his shoulder as he took off running.

Up ahead of him, more guards appeared, running head on towards him. There was no where to go except an alley just ahead to his left. He didn't know what was down it, but it was his only option.

Once again the same voice came from behind him "STOP OR ELSE"

Yu kept running, trying to make it to the alleyway.

The earthbender stopped, kicked up a stone block and punched it with both fists, sending it hurtling in Yu's direction. It was meant as a warning shot, But as Yu neared the alley, he turned left and ran right into it. The wind was knocked out of him as he felt something large and heavy slam against his back. Yu toppled into the alley, landing on his stomach and sliding to a stop.

_Why couldn't I be rock proof! That would be really useful right now. _He thought while trying to recover himself._ Though I'm not sure how that would work? I don't really see how you could be immune to giant stones smashing your head... and why am I thinking about this right now? Get up and run you idiot! _

Yu could hear the guards closing in. He drew in a deep painful breath, then scrambled to his feet. In front of him the alley was blocked by a wall, but to his right was an open door with a stairwell.

_Oh great, looks like I'm going up again. Cause that worked so well last time!_

Having little choice, he ran for the door and started up the stairs. He knew he needed to keep as much distance between himself and the earthbenders as possible. From a distance, all he had to worry about was rocks being hurled at him. But up close, they could just encase his feet or throw a wall up around him and it would be all over. His legs pumped furiously and his lungs burned as he pushed up the stairs as hard as he was able.

The stairs led all the way to the rooftop. Yu looked around, hoping he could just jump to another rooftop. The building were close enough together that it _would_ have been possible, had Yu not picked the shortest building in the surrounding area. Every other rooftop was at least twenty feet above him.

Instead, he noticed a window just across the alley close enough to jump into. Yu ran towards it but came to a halt just before making his leap. The window was closed. He looked down at the gash across his palm from the last window he went through. He knew trying to jump through the glass, without a pot on his head, might lead to even nastier cuts. There was also the possibility of hitting the glass and not actually breaking it, then falling to the street below. He quickly glanced over the ledge... Nope, no cabbage cart this time.

Yu looked around, the top of the stone building was scattered with small and medium sized stones. Yu reached down and picked up one of the larger stones just as he heard footsteps coming up the stairs behind him. With no time to loose, he hurled the rock through the window. With a loud crash, a cascade of glass showered down the side of the building into the alleyway below.

Unfortunately, The stone only broke out a small hole, Now jagged spikes of glass lined the window, all pointing inwards toward the small hole in the middle.

Yu's shoulders slumped as he rolled his head foreword and sighed. _Oh come on! That's even more dangerous now!_

But it was too late. The stair door behind him burst open and Yu jumped. He brought his arms up in front of his face and broke through the rest of the window. Cutting his shoulders and forearms as he passed through.

_**CRASH!**_

_**BAM!**_

_**BAM!**_

_**BAM!**_

_**BAM!**_

_**BAM!**_

_**BAM!**_

_**BAM!**_

_**WHAM!**_

Yu lay upside down, his back against a wall and his feet over his head, at the bottom of a stairwell. A stairwell he may have noticed had he actually looked _through_ the window to see what was on the other side, instead of just at it.

"Ah... ow." was all Yu could manage as he lay in a tangled heap at the bottom of the stairs. Yu rolled over and checked himself for injuries. Other than the rather minor cuts and scrapes (save for one large gash across his left shoulder) He'd suffered surprisingly little damage.

His attention was drawn back up the stairs by a large 'WUMP' as something hit the side of the building.

As far as he could tell, it sounded like the earthbenders had just bridged the gap to the window he'd just come through. The sound of footsteps nearing the window, confirmed his assumption.

Yu ran over to the front door and kicked it open, then turned and ran further back into the house. He yanked open a closet door and hid inside.

The earthbenders came running down the stairs. They saw the open front door and headed out in pursuit. Yu slumped down inside the closet. He waited a few minutes, both to catch his breath, and to make sure no one was coming back. Once it seemed safe, he opened the closet door and made his way to the street. He peeked out and didn't see any guards.

He walked quickly across the street and into an alleyway and started making his way toward the edge of town. Yu knew leaving by the gates, wasn't an option. Half the guards were probably looking for him. The town didn't have walls _per se, _but the houses were built so close to each other on the perimeter, that they served as such. Though, he'd noticed when they entered town yesterday, that several of the perimeter buildings had second story windows he could probably exit out of (despite having dealt with enough windows for one day).

Luckily, after a bit of searching, Yu found an empty warehouse with windows on the second floor open to the outside. He stuck his head out the window and checked for guards, but the coast was clear. He was far enough away from any gates, that this seemed the ideal place to exit. Only open ground and the forest just beyond. Yu stepped up on the sill, then stopped. A thought nagged at the back of his mind as the older guards words echoed in his head.

_ "...She's got to be in town somewhere. We'll find the princess without your help."_

Yu stepped down from the window and sat on the ground.

_If I don't at least warn her, they might capture her. _He thought. With that, another voice in his head chimed in.

_So?_

Yu crossed his arms. _Well, that is a pretty good argument... but for some stupid reason, I'm going back anyway._

Not even sure why he was doing it, Yu stood up and headed back into town.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

He quickly wound his way through the alleyways and found the inn. While he didn't know the town's layout, the intensity of Azula's bending strength called out like a beacon he could sense from half the city away.

Yu turned the corner just in time to see seven armed guards enter the inn.

_I'm too late._ He thought.

They'd most likely have Azula captured and in chains before he could reach the front door. He didn't completely understand why, but that mental image bothered him a bit more than he cared too admit. With that thought in mind, he ran towards the inn as fast as his already exhausted legs would carry him.

He sensed an earthbender standing just behind the door. Yu didn't have time (or the skill) to fight him, so he improvised.

Raising his arms to protect himself, Yu slammed into the door full force and almost knocked it off the hinges. The door flew open and blindsided the earthbender, sending him flying across the room. Yu tumbled across the ground, slid and rolled to his feet. The earthbender didn't get up. Ignoring the utterly shocked innkeeper, Yu bounded up the stairs and towards the room Azula was staying in. The door was open and he felt a slight twinge of worry grip at him.

_At least they're still in the room._ He thought, _I can still help if..._

Yu entered the room readying himself for a fight.

Azula in the middle of the room, hair down and somewhat messy, the look on her face was far from happy. The six guards decorated the room in various positions of defeat, all unconscious.

...and the curtains were on fire.

Yu stood silent, stunned. She had taken out six fully armed men in under a minute and, other than some mussed hair, it looked as though she'd barely broken a sweat. Yu, breathing heavy and still standing as though ready to fight, laughed a bit to himself. He was both relieved and a little embarrassed. _Like she needed my help. _

"You make for a terrible damsel in distress you know that?" He said to her.

Azula turned to face him, his attempt at humor lost on her. She met his gaze, but her anger didn't fade (on the contrary, it seemed to get worse). In one swift move she'd cleared the distance between them and had him pinned against the wall, her forearm pressing against his throat. Yu was caught off guard. His hands up at his sides in surprise. She locked eyes with him. As her stare pierced into him, Yu couldn't help but notice the dark circles under her eyes.

"So! You sent them here!" She hissed at him.

"What.. why..." Yu stammered.

"Don't lie to me!" She demanded "I sent you away, so you sent the guards.". She seemed to be getting even more upset, pressing her forearm harder into his neck.

Yu stared at her blankly for a second. Given how their conversation went last night, he realized she had issues regarding trust. It wasn't until now that he realized just how deeply that ran.

"If I had, why would I have come back?" He strained out.

Her gaze didn't change, she still stared at him with a burning anger, but her arm relaxed a bit. It was a fair enough question. If he had sent the guards to capture her, why would he be here? Then she noticed his physical condition. It would seem he'd had his own trouble with the guards this morning.

She blinked and broke eye contact with him then slowly pulled her arm back and took a step away from him. Now, slightly calmer.

"Then why did you come back ." She said, suspiciously probing for an ulterior motive. Then an odd look crossed her face and she took another step back. ".. and why do you smell like cabbage?"

Yu rubbed his throat, trying to remember why he'd come back to help her. Whatever the reason was, it sure wasn't coming to mind now.

"Look, this was posted in the town square this morning" he said, pulling out the folded up wanted poster he'd slipped into his pocket. "I'll be more then happy to answer any questions you've got, but right now we need to get outta here!"

She grabbed the poster from his hands and looked it over. She paused for a moment, not sure what to think.

_Did he really come back just to... _Azula started thinking. _No there's something going on here. Does he really think I'm this stupid. What is he trying to pull... _

She'd have to worry about figuring out his true motives later. For now, he was right, they had to leave. The inn would probably be crawling with half the towns garrison in a few more minutes. Whatever game he was playing, she'd have to figure out later.

Yu walked over and put the curtain out with his hands. When he'd turned around to face her, she'd already thrown her small pack over her shoulder and was standing at the window.

The Inn was on the edge of town. The only thing directly behind it was miles of dense forest. Azula opened the window and jumped out from the second floor, hitting the ground and breaking into a sprint in one graceful motion.

Yu picked up his own pack, which he noted was laying in the exact spot he'd left it last night... not to mention the vase and flowers still scattered across the floor. He quickly pulled another shirt out and pulled it on (he'd had enough foresight to buy a few, given his nasty habit of catching on fire). As he turned to exit the window, he couldn't help but notice the bed was still made, which seemed a bit unusual given how early it still was.

Then he recalled the dark circles under her eyes. It looked as though she'd not slept at all last night.

_Was she really that upset over what I said_, he couldn't help but wonder.

He tried pushing the thought from his mind as he lowered himself out the window and jumped to the ground. His landing was far less elegant than hers. He hit the ground, stumbled forward and stopped himself with both hands as he almost fell on his face. He gritting his teeth as the pain shot up from his gashed palm.

He quickly righted himself, wiped his hands off, and headed into the woods behind her. She was far out in front of him as he pushed to catch up. As he watched her move over the brush and through the trees (making his best effort to keep up), he wondered once again why he hadn't just left, and once again, he had no answer.


	15. Chapter 14: Drawn

**Chapter 14**

_Drawn_

Ever since they'd fled the Inn, Azula hadn't spoken a single word, nor had Yu offered any of his own. They'd been running for what felt like hours, though in truth, Yu had no idea how much time had actually passed. His body ached, and while none of his injuries were serious, they were numerous, making their vigorous pace that much more difficult for him to maintain.

Yu stopped, putting his hands on his knees and gasping for breath. It took Azula a few more strides before she realized he was no longer following her. She came to a stop, turning to look at him.

"We don't have the luxury of relaxing, keep moving" Azula demanded.

Yu looked up at her, and, in between breaths, did his best to respond. "Ya know... if they were anywhere close... I'd be able to tell... after all... that's the reason you lied to me to keep me around isn't it"

Azula's eyed him suspiciously. "If you've figured much out, then I want to know why you came back?"

"I'm still trying to figure that one out myself." Yu said in all honesty.

"That isn't much of an answer. Try again!"

"It's probably because you're so pleasant to be around"

Azula scowled at him, getting angrier by the second. "You may notice I'm not laughing. I warn you, if you're trying to pull something over on me, you'll find yourself woefully outclassed. So I'm going to ask you one more time, and you will answer me truthfully, what reason did you have for returning"

His first answer _had_ been the truth, but the obviously wasn't good enough for the Princess, so he tried again. Azula eyed him like a hawk as he spoke. Paying attention to every every little detail, every slight shift in his posture, the expression on his face, and the sound of his voice. One of the tricks in being a great lier, was knowing what gave it away in others.

"It was just a feeling in my gut... It just didn't feel right to leave." Was all he could think to say.

He wasn't lying, it was more pathetic than that. He'd returned over some petty misplaced emotional obligation.

"So pity then." Azula scoffed "Given you're own condition, I'd say your concern was entirely misplaced. You would seem to need me far more than I require you. In fact, I'm actually rather curious, how exactly _did y_ou survive before you met me?"

Yu's eyes narrowed as he looked at her. "Before I met you, it wasn't nearly this difficult."

"Than you should thank me for making your life more interesting" Azula offered.

He couldn't' tell if she was being serious or not, either way he couldn't help but laugh. To his surprise, he could have sworn a slight show of amusement spread it's way onto Azula's face. It was only there for a second and then gone just as quickly.

"Uh, about yesterday" Yu said, thinking this might be a good time to apologize. "I didn't really mean..."

Yu stopped as soon as he looked at her and realized he'd just made a big mistake. Any trace of amusement her expression once held was gone. She shot him a disgusted contemptuous look and jumped to her feet.

"If you have enough breath to waste on unnecessary sentiment, then you're rested enough to keep moving. Let's go." She snapped before leading them into the woods once again.

- - - - - - -

The next few hours of trudging through the woods were spent in silence once again. Azula only broke it to point out a small cave she thought would make a good place to spend the night. Though it was still a few hours till sunset, they probably wouldn't be lucky enough to come across a shelter like this. Azula entered the cave and threw down her pack. She turned to tell Yu to go and gather firewood, and was momentarily bewildered but what he was doing.

Yu was facing away from her at the cave entrance, doing what looked like some kind of bizarre dance.

"What are you doing?" Azula asked.

Yu continued making hand movements and stomping on the ground. "Well, you turned out to be a princess, so I might be the Earth King after all"

A first, Azula had no idea what he was talking about. It was only after a few seconds that it dawned on her. She remembered that first day they met, what he'd said to her just after she first told him she was a princess

_"Yeah, and I'm the Earth King" _

Azula sighed, no matter how much of an idiot he kept proving himself to be, he always managed to top himself.

"First of all" Azula said. "What you're doing looks nothing like earthbending. Second, the Earth King isn't an eartbender anyway."

"Well" Yu stopped moving "I'm obviously not an earthbender either. I believe that proves I'm the Earth King"

"It proves you're an Idiot and very little else" Azula said, doing her best to try and ignore him. "Besides, I've dealt with the Earth King before. I even threatened his life one time" Azula added offhandedly (and with a small hint of pride).

"Well?" Yu asked.

Azula stopped what she was doing and turned to look at him. "Well what?" She said, becoming increasingly annoyed by the ridiculousness of the conversation.

"How did I handle myself? I didn't panic did I. Why didn't you tell me we'd met before" He asked, knowing very well that he may be pushing his luck.

Azula, out of what she considered a supreme act of charity (and due to her own exhaustion) fought down the urge to dash across the cave and strangle him. She instead settled for a delicate warning. "Yu, the ice you're standing on right now is exceptionally thin and beginning to crack. Do I make myself clear."

"I think I'll go gather some fire wood" Yu said, taking the cue and backing out of the cave.

Azula watched him leave, and with him a portion of her frustration. She then continued clearing a spot to sleep, despite her reluctance to do so. Not that she wasn't tired, far from it. She'd not slept a wink the night before, remaining huddled and terrified on the Inns floor. Even after she calmed herself, the thought of closing her eyes and slipping into a dream made her skin crawl.

"Azula." the soft spoken voice of her mother came from behind her.

"You're slipping" Azula said without looking away from her bedroll. "I was expecting you this time." She turned to find her mother standing at the cave entrance but Ursa was facing away from her.

"Azula" she called out again, looking all around except at Azula. "Where have you run off too!"

"I'm tired mother" Azula surveyed her mothers behavior. "I have no wish play these games of yours tonight."

"Excuse me" Ursa finally turned her attention to Azula and asked pleadingly. "I was wondering if you've seen my daughter?"

Azula recoiled from her slightly. Was this a game, did her own mother really not recognize her? An eerie feeling settled on her like a cold sweat and hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she looked into her mother's eyes and felt no recognition in them. Her mother was looking at her as she would a stranger.

"I'm right here mom"

Azula spun on her heels to see that little girl, her younger self, standing at the back of the cave, running toward her. As she passed Azula jumped back and pressed herself against the wall of the cave. She wanted as much distance between herself and this other Azula as she could manage. The girl ran over and hugged her mother. As she watched, Azula felt her breath leave her and her chest constrict.

"I was looking all over for you, what have you been up to" Ursa asked the younger Azula playfully.

When the little girl looked back at her, Azula once again felt herself shrink back uncontrollably. The small girl then whispered something in her mother's ear. Ursa broke her embrace and stood up, looking at Azula with stern cold eyes. In all the times she'd seen and talked with her mother since the day of the comet, this was the first time Ursa ever seemed angry. Caught in her mother's unwavering gaze, Azula couldn't help but feel like a child herself. A child that knows they've done something wrong and is simply waiting for the punishment.

Ursa moved, swiftly closing the distance between them "Is my daughter telling me the truth? Do you plan on hurting my son!"

Azula's words caught in her throat as she tried to respond. Then without warning, her mother slapped her hard across the face, knocking Azula to the ground.

"I swear, if you harm on single hair on my child head...."

Azula's hand went to her stinging cheek as she turned to look up at her mother. Ursa stopped in the middle of her threat as they made eye contact.

"Oh" Ursa put her hands to her mouth in shock. "Azula. I... I didn't recognize you."

"Mom" The younger Azula's voice rang out from the cave entrance. "I'm over here mom. Don't pay attention to that mean older girl."

Ursa turned and smiled. "There you are young lady" she said as though nothing had happened. "Come along now Azula. We shouldn't be in a place like this." Her mother said almost cheerfully as she walked over and grabbed the little girls hand. The pair walked out of the cave and disappeared into the forest.

Azula was left sitting on the cave floor, holding her reddening cheek, sill too shocked and confused to do anything but stare out into the forest.

"Mom..." She heard the words meekly come out of her own mouth as though someone else was speaking for her. "I'm... I'm right here mom."

A noise snapped her out of the almost trance like state she'd fallen into. Fear tugged at her once again before she realized it was the sound of Yu's footsteps nearing the cave. It almost sounded like he was being louder than usual, but for once, she didn't mind.

"Here, this should last you the night" He said as he entered the cave. He threw the armload of thick branches on the ground and began making a small pile.

"Well, I guess you don't need me to light it, and I've still got to go gather my own." He said as he brushed off his knees and stood up.

"Wait" Azula said a bit too quickly. Yu stopped. Azula paused for a moment, trying to reconcile the confusion growing in her mind. She _should_ be able to handle this on her own. Had she really grown so weak... but if having someone near could keep these apparitions at bay...

"If they are still looking for us, another fire will just draw more attention. Just stay close to this one. Not in here of course, out there. Somewhere your useless powers won't kill me if they flare up again."

She prepared herself to suppress the anger she anticipated for some stupid remark or horrible attempt at humor from him once again. But to her relief, he just looked at her for a moment and nodded.

Yu lay down just outside and off to the side of the cave entrance. He should be surprised by the request, since she'd made it a point that he sleep as far away from her as possible, but he wasn't. He had a good idea of why she asked him to stay close. He'd heard everything.

* * * * * *

_A few minutes earlier_

* * * * * *

It didn't take Yu long to gather fire wood. There were plenty of dead branches laying all about just outside the cave entrance. Just as he finished and was about to return, he heard Azula talking from inside the cave.

"You're slipping, I was expecting you this time."

At first he thought she was talking to him, but as he got closer, it became obvious something else was going on.

"I'm tired mother, I have no wish play these games of yours tonight."

_Mother?_She definitely wasn't talking to him. Yu stopped and quietly set down his armload of firewood, then carefully walked over and hid just outside the entrance, listening. There was a long pause where Yu heard nothing, he took a chance and peeked around the edge of the cave entrance just in time to witness something he almost couldn't believe he was seeing.

Azula seemed to be looking at something (or possibly someone) just in front of her. Then, without warning, she reached back and slapped herself across the face hard enough that she knocked herself to the ground.

Yu's mouth fell open. He had to suppress the urge to run in and try to help her. He may not have known her very long, but he had a good idea of how that would end, and he'd suffered enough injuries for one day.

As she started to look up again, he pulled his head back around the cave entrance. Slowly and quietly, he slunk away and grabbed the arm full of wood he'd set down moments earlier, then walked back toward the cave, purposefully making enough noise so she'd be sure to hear him.

A few minutes later, after their brief exchange, he lay on the ground just outside the cave trying to make sense of everything he'd just witnessed. Small hints and clues that he hadn't thought much of, now started falling into place. Back in the Fire Nation, just outside New Chung-Ling, after returning with some supplies, he thought he heard her talking to someone. The same thing happened again a few days after they arrived in the Earth Kingdom. Then once more just last night when he'd neared her room at the Inn.

So, she really was crazy, and he was the whole reason she was out here instead of back in that hospital.

Strangest of all, even knowing all that, Yu still felt no urge to run away. It was rather quite the opposite. For reason's he couldn't fathom, he _still _couldn't help but feel drawn to her.

Yu turned over and stared into the dancing flames of the small fire. It was all too much to even think about right now. Yu tried to push it all to the back of his mind, using the fire as a distraction. After what felt like half the night, he finally drifted off to sleep.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**Gah! This chapter should NOT have taken this long, but I was dealing with a serious case of Brain-not-work. Anyway, the next few should come out a bit quicker since, while I was blocking on this one, I got rough drafts done for the next few. Speaking of which, I've also decided on leaving little teasers about the upcoming chapters at the end of my current one. So here it is.**

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

* * * * * * *

* * *

_**Reluctantly, Aang once again finds himself in the presence of the Facestealer. Will Aang receives the answers he seeks, or simply leave with more questions... If he leaves at all.**_

_**Next: Consequences of Aang**_


	16. Chapter 15: Consequences of Aang

**Chapter 14**

Consequences of Aang

"GAHH!! I'VE HAD IT THESE STUPID THORN BUSHES!" Toph yelled. "That's it!"

She stomped her foot down and started moving her hands.

"Whoa, wait Toph!" Aang yelled at her.

"What?" Toph asked, perplexed by Aang's sudden alarm. "I'm just gonna clear a path so I don't keep stepping on these stupid thorns. What's the big deal?"

"The 'big deal'..." Sokka filled in. "...is that messing with these woods is what caused that bear spirit to attack the town last time we were here. It even kidnapped me for no reason!"

"Well" Katara added "You did throw a boomerang at it's butt"

Toph put her hands down and sighed "So why are we hiking to this stupid statue anyway?"

"Appa could really use the rest." Aang said. "He's practically done more flying in the last month then he did all last year. Besides it's only a few hours of walking. We've dealt with worse"

"Yeah, on open ground. Not through a bunch of bushes and trees that I can barely 'see'." Toph said. "This sucks!"

"Hey sis, could you carry this for me." Sokka said, removing the sword and sheath from his back. The sword belonged to Zuko, one of his duel broadswords which he'd given to Sokka as a parting gift when they left the capitol. Though, since Sokka didn't know how to use them together, he only brought one and left the other back on Appa's saddle.

"Uh... why" Katara asked.

"I'll just carry Toph piggyback, then there shouldn't be a problem right?"

Toph quickly turned away from the other's, afraid they might see her blushing."Fine, if I have to..." She said, doing her best to sound annoyed by the prospect.

Sokka lowered down as Toph felt for his back and nervously hopped on. He stood up and only took a few steps when he felt a sharp tug on his shirt collar as Toph kicked her heels into his side and yelled out "Yip Yip".

"You know, I'm doing you a favor" Sokka snapped back at her.

"Hey Aang, didja here that." She said, ignoring Sokka's protest "My earth bison can talk!"

Both Aang and Katara laughed. Sokka didn't find it nearly as amusing.

Katara, for one, was thankful for the levity, as it served a brief distraction from the problems weighing on her mind for the last week. She exchanged a look with Aang, and she could read in his eyes that he'd thought the same thing. As she looked at him, she felt her mood lighten even more as some of the worry felt lifted from her. He'd already done so much, for the world... for her. If anyone could fix this, he could. Not just because he was the Avatar, but because he was Aang. She knew he'd never let her down.

Katara turned back to her brother "You heard the girl. Yip Yip!"

Sokka let out a loud wailing yell, startling Toph enough that she almost fell off his back. Aang and Katara both stopped dead in their tracks and stared at him, wondering what was wrong.

"What" Sokka replied to their looks of concern and confusion "I was roaring, Ya know, the way Appa does!"

Aang laughed "Oh, is that what that was supposed to be, I thought Toph hurt you."

Toph and Katara snickered. Then, with spirits lifted, they continued on their trek to Hei Bai's statue.

* * * * * * *

By the time they reached it, the sun had set and the moon was just starting to peak out over the horizon. Hei Bai's statues stood before them, surrounded by clumps of roots that themselves looked vaguely like smaller bear shapes. Given the spiritual nature this place, Sokka assumed Hei Bai's influence, rather than human hands, had accounted for these peculiar formations. Sokka lowered Toph off his back and onto one of root formations.

Toph didn't bother jumping down from root formation. Even though she couldn't 'see' through the wood, she really felt no need to look around.

_You've seen one patch of forest you've seen them all_ she thought.

"Well, I guess I'll see you guys in a while" Aang said as he sat down in front of Hei Bai's statue and began meditating. Katara kneeled down in front of him and kissed him lightly.

"Good luck" She said with a smile.

Aang calmed himself as he began to meditate. After a few minutes, he felt a familiar shift, the same sensation he remembered feeling at the Spirit oasis at the north Pole. When he opened his eyes, he was no longer sitting in Hei-Bai's woods.

Unlike the swampy area he'd arrived in from the spirit oasis, this part of the spirit world seemed occupied by a dense pack of oddly shaped blue and green trees. In front of him was a small clearing with a rocky pedestal. standing atop it, motionless, was what looked to be a short man, with a rabbit's head.

As Aang drew closer, he was able to make out more details of the creature. He noticed the rabbitman had three horns on it's head. Two long curled horns extended out of the sides of it's head just below it's unusually long ears (even for a rabbit). The third horn started from the center of it's forehead and swept backward over the top of it's head., and had what looked like a small pom pom hanging down from just below the tip. It was dressed in a dark purple robes and as Aang entered the clearing, it spoke before Aang even asked a question.

"No" was all the creature said in a voice far deeper than it's appearance would indicate.

"Um, I didn't even say anything?" Aang replied, a bit confused.

It opened one eye and shifted it's head to look at Aang. "I know nothing of why the Moon spirit grows weaker"

"How did you..." Aang began before being interrupted.

"Your thoughts invade my own. Like all humans, you cannot seem to keep them to yourself..." The Rabbitman answered, obviously annoyed by the interruption. "I have no answers to the questions you wish to ask."

"You can..." Aang started to ask when he was cut off mid sentence again.

"Not as much... "Reading" you're mind would suggest a certain degree of intent on my part. As I've said, you simply think far too loudly. If I could choose to not hear it, I would." The short rabbit like creature turned to face Aang, opening both it's pale eyes to look at him. It's eyes reminded him of Toph's, clouded and white. Though, unlike Toph, Aang had the distinct feeling that this creature had no trouble seeing.

Before Aang could even open his mouth to talk again, the spirit was already answering his next question.

"I've already told you. The answers you seek remain beyond my ability to answer." With that, the Rabbitman pointed to it's left, but gave no explanation.

"I can guide him from hear, Taeroon"

Aang quickly turned as he heard the familiar voice. "Roku!"

Roku stood among a tangle of pale blue tree roots. "Hello Aang. I would say I'm surprised to see you here, but..."

"Do you know what's happening with the moon spirit Roku!" Aang asked anxiously.

Roku shook his head "I'm sorry Aang, I don't. Unlike most spirits, she remains strongly bound to the physical world. I'm afraid coming here will not help you reach out to her. But, you already knew that, didn't you."

"Yeah" Aang answered, slumping his shoulders in disappointment. "I can't explain why, but I had a feeling this wouldn't work"

"If I'm no longer needed" Taeroon cut in. "I would appreciate if you would continue this conversation anywhere that I am not"

Roku bowed to Tearoon "Of course watcher, please excuse us."

Aang was about to thank 'Taeroon' when the spirit once more answered his thoughts. "I have done nothing that would require your gratitude."

"You know him" Aang asked as they started to walk away.

"I met him once, a long time ago. He, and others like him, keep watch over areas where the link between the spirit world and the human world is strongest."

"Like Hei-Bai's statue." Aang said while also thinking of the monkey-like spirit he'd met at the spirit oasis.

"Speaking of which..." Roku said as something large nudged Aang's back, almost knocking him over. He spun around to find a giant furry black and white face staring back at him.

"Hei-Bai!" Aang yelled out, giving the spirit bear a hug around it's thick neck. Hei-Bai gave off a deep rumbling growl of appreciation.

"It's a long way to your destination Aang, I thought you could use Hei-Bai's help." Roku said knowingly.

"So, you know why I'm here then." Aang answered, a bit surprised that Roku wasn't more worried.

"Yes Aang, and I understand. Whatever is effecting the moon spirit, you must put a stop to it. Just please be careful and remember everything I told you about that creature."

"I know" Aang said to his mentor while climbing up on Hei-Bai's back. "Show no emotion."

Aand stroked the spirit bears neck. "Ok, let's go"

Hei-Bai shot off through the trees as Aang waved to Roku. Hei-Bai, transformed into it's larger, more monstrous form, greatly increasing it's speed and leaving Aang to hold on with all his strength as the massive six limbed creature sped through the spirit forest.

* * * * * * *

They made it too Koh's lair faster than Aang expected. Hei-Bai, despite his size and power, refused to go anywhere near Koh's lair. Aang jumped off and started walking toward it, leaving the bear spirit behind but Aang only took a few steps when he was stopped. Hei-Bai, transformed back to it's bear state, was holding the back of Aang's robes with it's mouth and whimpering.

"It's alright boy" Aang said, pulling his robes free and petting the spirit's large fuzzy nose. "I'll be careful I promise. I have to do this". Hei-Bai gave one last whimper of protest, but let Aang go.

Aang turned and looked at the entrance to Koh's lair. With a deep breath to calm himself, he entered.

Unlike last time, Aang entered the cave silently, keeping his face blank and emotionless as a statue. He reached the inner sanctum of Koh's lair, and while he didn't immediately see the spirit, he could hear something slithering around the cave walls above him. Aang didn't bother to announce himself, he knew his presence was already know.

"Hello avatar" A large black mass moved across the ceiling above him. "I do so enjoy it when old friends come to pay old Koh a visit" the voice echoed out from the darkness.

"Greetings Koh, It's good to see you again" Aang lied, his eyes staring straight ahead, focusing on nothing.

"I'm sure it is." Koh's laugh came from behind him. Aang remained motionless "Though, I had expected you sooner."

_Sooner?_ Aang stood silent and stoic, letting no emotion show on his face. Koh shifted and coiled around him. When Aang spoke, his voice was hollow, betraying no emotion. "Then you know about the moon spirit"

"So, that's why you've come... interesting" Koh finally faced Aang, wearing a white face with bright red lips and gray circles around both eyes. This was the first face Aang had ever seen on the spirit, it seemed to be a favorite of his. "If _that's_ why you've come, it would seem you still don't understand what you've done. Do you Avatar?"

Koh 'blinked' switching to the face of an old woman "The moon spirit's condition is the least of your worries, merely a side effect of your little mistake."

"Mistake?" Aang asked, giving away no hint of the shock and confusion that now boiled inside him. "I'm not sure what you mean. What does this have to do with me?"

Koh's laughter filled the cave. He spun around, now wearing the face of a baboon and lunged foreword, stopping only inches from Aang face. "IT HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH YOU..." He yelled. Koh pulled back, twisting away from Aang and speaking calmly again. "...with what you've done..." He turned back, now wearing a young mans face "...and, more importantly, what you didn't do"

His heart was beggaring to speed up, but his face remained calm. Aang felt lost. He had no Idea what Koh was trying to get at, or if the spirit was even telling the truth. He almost hoped it _was_ lying.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about" Aang said.

"It would seem you don't." Koh said as he pulled himself up the cave wall. "It would also seem that you and I now have something in common"

_Something in common?_ The thought made his skin crawl. Aang didn't want anything in common with this creature. All his energy now focused on keeping his appearance as emotionless as possible while his mind was reeling.

Koh continued crawling along the walls of the cave, circling Aang from above. It spoke again, answering the question that Aang's silence seem to ask. "We both remove pieces from our victims... Though, I'm courteous enough to close the wounds..." An angry male face with a long mustache and thick eyebrows swung down in front of Aang and screamed at him once more. "SOMETHING YOU NEGLECTED TO DO!"

Aang stood still and stared straight ahead silently. At this point he didn't even know what to ask.

Koh blinked again, bringing forth the face of a young woman, it's voice once again calm and almost soothing "The lion-turtle's gift probably wasn't a power you were ready for"

Aang was more confused than ever.

"I apologize, but I still don't understand." Aang said doing nothing to betray his growing swirl of emotions.

Koh coiled around Aang. Close enough that any movement on Aang's part would cause them to touch. A prospect that almost made Aang shiver. "Did you think that tearing away part of a humans spirit , removing their connection to the elements, would be that simple. That a power that great would come with no repercussions... no consequences?"

_Ozai_? Aang thought. _Is that what I did to the Fire lord. My energy bending removed a part of his spirit? _

"I didn't realize..." Aang started to say, doing everything he could to hide the growing discomfort.

"Of course you didn't. Humans rarely understand these things... even if it is the Avatar" Koh said arrogantly.

Koh's face changed to a blue ogre like face with long teeth. "More importantly, by linking your spirits while still in your world, you stressed the barrier between our worlds. And when you tore at his spirit, you breached that barrier."

Aang remained silent, trying to absorb everything he was being told. He still didn't know enough about the spirit world to understand what dangers a "breach" between the worlds could cause. Even less, why it seemed to be affecting the moon spirit so drastically.

"How can I repair it?" Aang asked once he trusted himself to speak.

"Oh, it's no longer there Avatar. Like all wounds, it has had time to heal... no thanks to you." Koh said. Aang felt a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach. "Of course, the tear itself isn't the danger... Unless of course, something used that breach to enter your world."

Aang asked the question Koh was leading him too. "_Did _something escape and enter the human world."

The creatures legs moved slowly in around Aang's face as Koh drew near. With a 'blink', Koh switched to the face of a young girl. Aang felt a strong urge to recoil but kept himself rooted in place. "Oh yes Avatar, indeed something did. Something that was never meant to exist in your world."

Then Aang asked a question he was afraid he already knew the answer too. "Is it dangerous?"

Koh laughed, hollow and menacing while pulling away from him. "Dangerous... What you've unleashed is far more than just dangerous Avatar. There is nothing in your world that compares to it... not even you."

Aang was getting anxious. Questions were swimming through his head. He wanted nothing more than to start yelling them out, begging for answers. Get to the bottom of this as fast as he could. He used every ounce of willpower to restrain himself. He closed his eyes and took a slow deep breath. He calmly opened his eyes and selected his next question for Koh.

"What is it?"

"It was once called... Kaji" Koh replied.

"That's... it's name?" Aang asked, unfamiliar with the word.

"No Avatar. What now roams your world existed before names, before humans. It was ancient before even I came into being. Kaji is simply what it is."

Aang didn't know if Koh was being deliberately obtuse to get a reaction, if so, it almost worked. Aang could feel his frustration growing, but he fought it down and remained outwardly calm.

"Then what is a Kaji" Aang asked.

"A fire spirit..." Koh said, switching to the face of an old bearded man. He drew in close to Aang, whispering in his ear "...one of the first."

"Where can I find it?" Aang asked.

"Hmmmm" Koh crawled a short distance from Aang, before turning back to look at him. Once again wearing the white face with bright red lips. "Now that is a good question... one even I can't answer."

"Why not" Aang asked, careful not to display his agitation.

"It seems to have gotten itself..." Koh looked up, thinking for the correct phrasing "...a bit lost... in a manner of speaking"

Before Aang could prepare another question, Koh spoke with it's back to Aang. Seemingly distracted by something.

"You should go now." The spirit said, almost dismissively.

Before Aang could protest, Koh swung down from the cave ceiling and came face to face with Aang and said very pleasantly "Your friends are in a great deal of trouble" Aang felt a cold sweat rush over him as Koh finished. "Without you... they will die!"

An image of katara and the others passed through his mind. Involuntarily, Aang's right eye twitched as he felt himself gasp. Aang recoiled, expecting the worst... but nothing happened. When he opened his eyes, Koh hadn't made any move toward him.

_I must not have shown as much emotion as I thought_ Aang thought, relieved. Without another thought on it, Aang bowed, said goodbye and turned to leave Koh's lair. After a few steps, Aang heard Koh's voice from behind him.

"One last thing Avatar"

Aang stopped and turned, doing everything in his power to remain calm despite every part of his being wanted nothing more than to run to his friends.

"I may not know where it is, but I do know that, in order to grow stronger, it needs to feed. For that purpose, it _would_ be drawn to its own element... In one form or another."

Aang paused for a moment longer, not sure if Koh was done with him. Then, the centipede like spirit coiled away while giving Aang an ominous farewell. "I would hurry young Avatar. The sightless one has little time left"

_Toph?! _Aang didn't bother asking, there was no more time for questions if his friends were truly in danger. He turned and walked quickly up the steps, then broke into a full sprint as soon as he felt it was safe to do so.

He found Hei-Bai pacing a short distance away from Koh's lair. The bear tried to nuzzle him but Aang jumped on his back. Hei-Bai groaned in protest, but the urgency in Aang's voice changed the spirits mind.

"Please, we have to get back as soon as possible. I need you to move as fast as you can."

With that, Hei-Bai transformed and started moving through the woods. At times Hei- Bai almost seemed to 'shift' forward in spurts. Aang gave one last backward glance at Koh's cave. If anything, he was now more confused than when he'd arrived, and he _still_ hadn't found out anything about the moon spirit.

_That's not important right now. _Aang thought as images of his friends swirled through his head. _Please hang on guys, I'm on my way._

* * * * * *

Koh watched the boy leave. A smile pursed the red lips of the pale face it currently wore. As it pulled back into the darkness of it's lair, the creature spoke quietly, both to itself and the boy that had just left. "We'll meet again very soon Avatar... Don't disappoint me."


	17. Chapter 16: A Blast from the Past

**Chapter 16**

_A Blast From the Past_

Toph sat atop the bear shaped root formations, absentmindedly playing with the black lump of metal left over from when Sokka had crafted his now lost sword. She twirled the metal in the air between her hands, bending and shifting into different shapes. After getting bored with that, she molded it back into a bracelet and returned it to her wrist. She wished briefly that Momo hadn't stayed behind with Appa, at least then she could have someone to play with while Sokka and Katara practiced (the little lemur had eaten so much upon their arrival, he could barely fly, and had stayed behind sleeping on Appa's head).

"Well, this is boring. How long is twinkle toes gonna be in there any way" She said, letting out a sigh.

"It's only been five minutes, have some patience" Katara said. She had her water flask uncorked and, like Toph with her metal, was swirling her bending water through the air in graceful loops and swirls. Though, unlike Toph, Katara wasn't doing it out of boredom. She gauged the amount of effort every slight movement took. It was getting worse, much worse. Even these slight basic movements were taking a great deal of effort. If her bending had weakened this much in just over a week, how much longer until she couldn't use it at all? The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

Sokka spoke up while practicing with Zuko's broadsword. "At least we don't have to worry about him being kidnapped or anything crazy happening this time."

Toph sighed. "We'll _I_ wish something would happen, it's better than just sitting around doing noth..." Toph's head snapped up as she heard the distinct sound of arrows whistling through the air in their direction. She jumped of the root ball and stomped the ground, throwing up a wall of rock all around them.

"Toph, what..." a startled Katara said before hearing the sound of metal bouncing off Toph's stone barrier.

"You just had to say something didn't you." Sokka said to Toph as he reached up and wrapped his hand around the hilt of Zuko's broadsword.

"There's no more coming" Toph swung her hands up and made a quick downward movement, causing the rock wall to sink into the earth as quickly as it had appeared.

That's when she felt it. They were surrounded. Toph cursed her decision to stay seated on the wooden bear. If she hadn't, she would have 'seen' this the second she touched ground. There were over a hundred people hiding in the woods just beyond the burnt patch of forest containing Hei Bai's statue.

Before any of them could say or do anything more, they heard clapping coming from the woods. A older man dressed in a Fire Nation military uniform came walking out. Behind him, the woods came to life as Dozens and dozens of men issued forth from the trees all around them.

"There's more still hiding in the woods" Toph said to Katara and Sokka.

"Congratulation's" The man said aloud as he ceased his clapping. "It's an impressive trick to avoid the arrows of Yu-Yan archers. I guess I should have expected that from the Avatar's little friends. I guess the Avatar would have done something himself, except he seems a bit preoccupied at the moment..." Changdou said looking at Aang still sitting motionless, arrow glowing and cut off from the world. "...and I came all this way just to see him."

"Well that's too bad" Toph yelled out. "Looks like you'll just have to settle for us kicken yer butts!"

Changdou opened his mouth to speak again when Sokka put up his hand to silence him.

"You're about make a bad guy speech aren't you?" Sokka said.

Changdou just looked at Sokka, narrowing his eyes.

"Look, I'm sure you spent a lot of time practicing it and everything, but we've had to listen to a lot of those over the last year, and from people a lot scarier than you. Now, seeing as we're still here..." Soka shrugged his shoulder "...how about we just skip to the part where we fight and you loose."

Katara said nothing, she just uncorked her water skin and let the water flow out and spiral around her.

Changdou smiled "Hah! Without the Avatar, you children are nothing. And once we take care of you. No one can stop us from realizing the Phoenix Kings true vision for this..."

"'Hah!" Toph yelled out "I've got better "vision" then that loser! Now bring it on already."

Despite the insult, Changdou's smile didn't waver. "Fine then, since you seem to be so eager to fight. I'll be happy to oblige. Though, I won't be the one fighting you. I've promised that honor to an old friend of yours."

Changdou lifted his arm and made a beckoning motion. Sokka and Katara looked at each other, a bit unnerved by the Generals last statement, but unable to thik of who he could possibly be talking about. The men behind Changdou, shaded from the moonlight by the canopy of the forest, started to part. Though, neither Katara or Sokka could see who the soldiers were parting for.

It was Toph that first recognized their approaching enemy. Her sightless eyes widened as she felt a familiar pattern of footsteps reverberating through the earth . "Uh, guys" she said, a hint of worry in her voice. "I think we've got a problem."

Before Sokka could ask what was wrong, he heard it. The clank of metal, followed by a regular foot step.

'pad'

CLANK'

'pad'

'CLANK'

'pad'

'CLANK'

"No" Katara said as the fear crept into her voice. "It can't be..."

* * * * * * *

The morning after Sozin's Comet

* * * * * * *

Changdou dropped the food back to his plate as the loud pounding on his cabin door interrupted his breakfast. "Enter" He yelled "...and this better be good or..." Changdou stopped when he saw the expression on the young officer's face. He looked as though he'd seen a ghost.

"What is it soldier" He demanded.

"S-Sir" The young officer stammered out. "It's the Fire Lo... The Phoenix King Sir.. He's been defeated by the Avatar, the princess has been arrested, and prince Zuko is being crowned the new Fire Lord."

On deck, every officer stopped what they were doing as the booming voice of the General echoed throughout the entirety of the ship. _**"WHAT!"**_

Back in the General's cabin, the young officer swallowed hard, afraid that Changdou might take his anger out on him. Instead Changdou turned away as a panic seized him.

Under Ozai, he'd been allowed to do just about anything he wanted to keep his men in line. Even less were the restrictions placed on him in regards to his treatment of prisoners and civilians. And Changdou, being a cruel and petty man by nature, had taken full advantage of the leeway given him.

_Not him, anyone but him... _Changdou was well aware of Zuko's penchant for honor, as well as his attitude towards officers like himself firsthand. He had been in attendance during the war meeting that had earned the young prince both his scar _and_ banishment.

_If that honor mongering little brat really is the new Fire Lord, I'll be striped of rank and thrown in a dungeon for sure! No, I can't let that happen. I won't. I still have my ship, and my men... but without Ozai, these men won't follow me. What can I..._

Just then Changdou was struck with an idea. They may not stay loyal to _him_, but he knew that most of these men _did_ still revere Ozai.

Changdou turned around and spoke to the soldier still standing in his quarters. "Go tell the men that as long as I draw breath, the Phoenix Kings dream for this world will not be extinguished." Changdou watched as the young soldiers eyes lit up with pride. He snapped to attention and saluted his General with an enthusiasm Changdou himself rarely received.

In truth, Changdou knew it was useless. With a fully realized Avatar now protecting the world, and a new Fire Lord in power, he was doing nothing but staving off the inevitable. But he didn't care, he'd hold on to what little power he could as long as he could, and the more men he could gather using the Phoenix King's name, the more he'd have to sacrifice in order to save his own skin.

As the soldier turned to leave, Changdou stopped him. "One more thing, Contact Lieutenant Quan's ship. Let anyone still loyal to the Phoenix King join us in our crusade against the false Fire Lord" Changdou paused for a second to look over the map on his cabin's wall. For now, they needed a safe haven, somewhere to regroup where Zuko wouldn't think to look for them... but where?

A smile spread across his face as his eyes focused on an appropriate location near their current position. _Yes, that would do nicely_ he thought as his finger came to a stop on the map. "We'll rendezvous here, at the Western Air temple. Now get a move on soldier".

- - - - - - - - -

The Western air temple wasn't easily accessed from the ocean. As they sailed around the large island that hid the air temple, they'd encountered nothing but steep rocky cliffs at every turn. Changdou was loosing his patience and was on the verge of turning around when a messenger hawk landed on the port side railing and announced it presence with a screeching caw.

Changdou removed and unfurled the note. His lieutenant, had found a way inland, but that wasn't what caught Changdou's attention. The last line of the note simply read "I've found something you may find interesting."

Hours later, Changdou arrived at the mouth of a small river that emptied into the ocean from the canyon's that hid the Western Air temple. His lieutenants ship was already anchored and tied down as best as could be against the jagged rocky shoreline. As soon as he was able, Changdou disembarked and found his lieutenant, demanding to know what the last ominous line on his letter had meant.

Lieutenant Quan just smiled and motioned for the General to follow him. He led Changdou into the small camp they'd begun to set up just inside the canyon, and even though they'd arrived only a day earlier, it was already looking like a proper military encampment. Soldiers moved about, tending to their duties, setting up tents, preparing food. A small forge had even been set up and Changdou noticed with a curious glance that the blacksmith seemed to be making what looked like a metal leg for some reason.

Quan led his commanding officer to a tent just on the outskirtas of the camp.

"My scouts found him a few miles up river, just under the air temple" Quan said as he pulled back the tent flap. Inside, laying on a cot and looking more dead than asleep, was towering man, wrapped in bandages, missing an arm and a leg and with what looked like an eye tattooed on his forehead.

"And why are we wasting supplies on him?" Changdou inquired.

"I've seen this man before." Quan explained. "It was years ago. He fought in the quickest Agni Kai I've ever seen, probably the quickest Agni Kai anyone in the Fire Nation has ever seen. His name was... well, I can't remember it off the top of my head, but that's not important. What is important, is that this man is powerful. He's uses an extremely rare form of firebending that he somehow channels through that tattoo. When I saw him fight in that Agni Kai, he killed his opponent in the first two seconds... from a hundred yards away. He disappeared after that, rumor had it that he became an assassin."

Quan let the flap of the tent fall shut. They walked a few meters away and Quan continued. "The location we found him was littered with half eaten rodent's. From what I can tell, he's been trapped down here for a few weeks at least. We found a large crater in the ground near his location. I'm making the assumption that he fell from the cliffside above, most likely the temple itself, and blasted the ground just before impact to cushion his fall. There was a crushed metal leg sitting in the crater, and a metal arm laying on a river bank further up the canyon."

Quan leaned in close to Changdou, to make sure his words weren't overheard. "We've known each other for a long time Chang, I know you had no actual intention of trying to kill the Avatar... but with this man at our disposal. You may actually stand a chance at doing just that."

Changdou smiled, the idea settling comfortably into his mind. "Inform me the second he wakes up."

The next day, when their patient was finally awake and fed, Changdou found out the whole story (though it took awhile, he wasn't much for conversation). After hearing all that, it required very little convincing on Changdou' part to get the assassin to join his "cause". The man only gave one condition. That he be the one allowed to kill the Avatar and his friends.

It was a request Changdou had no trouble agreeing to.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The Present

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

'pad'

CLANK'

'pad'

'CLANK'

Still obscured by darkness, the hulking form moved through the parting sea of soldiers.

'pad'

'CLANK'

'pad'

'CLANK'

As he emerged from the crowd, the shadow's fell away and revealed the massive frame of the assassin they thought had died back at the Western Air temple. The moon's pale lunar glow reflected off his metallic arm the same way it had the first time they'd encountered him. Silent as always, his hate filled eyes focused on them intently as he came to a stop beside Changdou.

The General smiled, taking pleasure as he watched the confidence melt away from their faces as fear crept in to replace it. Changdou turned his back to them and walked a few steps before stopping along side Combustion Man.

"They're all yours!"

Wasting no time, Combustion Man drew in a deep breath. In that instant, for Toph, Katara and Sokka, time seemed to slow down. Toph shifted her feet and started throwing up a wall, Sokka readied his (or rather Zuko's) sword and Katara started gathering water into an ice spike above her head. As Combustion Man finished inhaling, time return to it's normal unrelenting pace as he threw his head forward and unleashed his attack.

Toph's wall exploded before it could even fully emerge from the ground. She slid backward but kept on her feet and immediately pulled up another barrier. Sokka blocked flying debris the best he could with the broad side of Zuko's sword. Katara sent her ice projectile flying over Toph's wall, but in her weakened state, couldn't generate enough speed to get her attack anywhere near it's intended target before it was blown to pieces.

As soon as the fight began, Changdou and his men backed away at the display of Combustion Man's power. It did no good to kill the Avatar if they got blown up in the process.

"Katara I need cover, give me some fog or mist or something." Sokka yelled out instructions "Toph! Throw me at him."

"What!" Toph screamed back as she intercepted another blast with a boulder from behind her barrier. Katara didn't ask any question's, all her concentration was vested in trying to pull enough moisture out of the air to do what Sokka asked.

"I don't have time to explain, just land me next to him!" Sokka answered Toph.

"I hope you know what you're doing" Toph yelled as she went through the motions to launch Sokka.

"So do I" He yelled back as mist began to collect around them. A pillar of rock ripped out of the ground and sent him flying through the air. The second his feet left the pillar, another blast tore through the mist cloud, blowing the pillar to pieces and scattering the mist.

Sokka hurtled through the Air at Combustion man. The assassin began to inhale and take aim at Sokka as he drew near, but Sokka hit the ground next to him before he could fire off his attack.

A twinge of pain shot up his injured leg as Sokka hit the ground only as few feet away from his target. Combustion Man turned to face Sokka, but didn't fire the blast he'd prepared.

_I was right! _Sokka thought as he took full advantage of Combustion Man's hesitation. He swung his sword with all his strength as he lunged forward, throwing his weight to his left leg. Pain screamed through his leg, slowing his attack and making him miss his mark.

Combustion Man dodged as Sokka sword cut through the air where he'd just been. It was all Combustion Man needed. With his metal hand, he back fisted the sword out of Sokka's grip, sending it flying through the air. Then in one fluid motion, slashed his clawed metallic fingers across Sokka's chest, ripping deep gashes into his flesh and sending him flying though the air as trails of blood traced his path behind him.

"SOKKA" Katara screamed.

"What happened" Toph yelled, panicked by Katara's reaction. She didn't need an answer, as soon as Sokka hit the ground, she could feel his erratic heartbeat and strained breathing.

Combustion Man lept at Sokka, intending to crush the boy's head with his metallic foot. The ground under Sokka cracked and shifted away. Combustion man's foot slammed into bare Earth as Sokka was sped away on a plate of rock back to Toph and Katara's position.

Combustion Man prepared to shoot at his retreating assailant, but a shower of icicles came raining toward him. He blasted the ground beneath the icicle barrage, scattering the attack, but creating a large plum of dust and dirt, creating a brief smokescreen between them.

Sokka's rock stretcher came to a stop next to Katara. His face contorted in agony as he groaned in pain. His hand squeezed at his chest as blood flowed out from between his fingers and soaked into his shirt and began to spread onto the ground around him.

"Hold on" Katara yelled as the remaining water twisted it's way out of her water skin and wrapped around his wound. The pain receded slightly as the waster made contact and slowed the bleeding. She pulled his hand away to get a better look at his wound as tears dripped off her chin and mixed with the water surrounding his wound.

The cuts were deep. In her weakened state, she couldn't deal with this in the middle of a battle. She looked up at Aang, who was still sitting serenely in front of Hei-Bai's statue. _Aang hurry, please. _

An angry Toph launched a barrage of rocks as the air around them cleared. Each one was blasted to pieces as fast as she could launch them. Toph slammed both fists into the soil. The ground in front of her buckled and ripped apart, sending hundreds of stone shards in Combustion Man's direction. He stopped firing and jumped back, using his metal limbs to shield himself from the barrage.

Toph thrust her hands out in front of her as a low rumble reverberated through the earth around them. Her toes dug into the earth and she slapped her hands together above her head. Two massive clamshell slabs of earth sprung from the ground around them, enclosing everyone (including Hei-Bai's statue) in a large, thick walled, rock dome.

The rock shower subsided, causing no more than a few small cuts and bruises. Combustion Man stood up and took aim at the earthen dome. The air crackled with energy around him as he inhaled and fired a blast at the dome. The thin beam of energy pierced through the air but exploded before reaching it's target as a slab of earth erected from the ground and intercepted the blast.

Inside the dome, illuminated only by the soft blue glow of Aang's arrow, Katara examined Sokka as Toph, with her unique vision was still able to see outside, stood near the front of the dome, doing her best to intercept the attacks before they could hit the dome.

"How is he" Toph yelled while still earthbending to defend the dome from the incoming blasts.

Katara didn't answer, concentrating her hardest just to stop the bleeding.

"HOW IS HE!" Toph yelled even louder. Another blast rocked the dome, small pebbles and dust fell around them.

"I need to concentrate..." Katara started to say, her voice faltering "...my waterbending... Toph we need to get out of here."

"How?" Toph yelled at her. "We're surrounded by troops, pinned down by Sparky, Sokka's injured and Aang's a paperweight!"

Toph shifted again as she sensed and blocked another incoming attack, the dome trembled as another boulder exploded just outside it's walls.

"I'm not strong enough right now" Katara pleaded with her. "I, I need more time to heal him... I... Can't you dig a tunnel out of here?"

"Hey sweetness, I'm doing all I can. The second I stop to dig we'll get blown to pieces. Just heal him already, what's the..."

Another explosion shook the dome, cutting her off.

"I can't heal him. Not like this. Toph, my waterbending's been getting weaker ever since Aang and I passed out. I can heal him, but I need more time."

She dug her toes into the dirt. As she felt Sokka's heartbeat thumping erratically, a lump formed in her throat and she felt her chest tighten as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Then I'll give you time..." She said as a small section of the dome wall peeled open in front of her.

"Toph you can't..." Katara started to protest.

"You just worry about Sokka, I'll deal with Sparky." Toph stepped out and sealed the dome behind her.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - -

_With Aang in the spirit world, Katara weakened and Sokka injured. It's up to Toph to save her friends from the one enemy even the Avatar was never able to beat. _

_Next, it's Toph vs. Combustion Man in:_

_**Chapter 17: Blind Fury**_


	18. Chapter 17: Blind Fury

_**Ah, Finally. Sorry this update took far longer than explected. Without getting into to much detail, I'll just say that the last month and a half has been... busy, to put it mildly. So much so, that I've only been able to sit down and work on this for the last week or so. Luckily, things have settled down to normel levels of crazy, and with that I should be able to resume with updates roughly once a week from here.**_

------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Chapter 17**

Blind Fury

Katara's final protest was cut off mid sentence as the thick walls of the stone dome closed behind Toph. She had no time to second guess her decision, Combustion Man's attacks were relentless. As soon as the dome sealed she heard the air behind her crack and pop as another energy burst sliced through the air towards her. She slammed her foot into the ground, sending a wave of earth and rock to intercept the blast. She was thrown from her feet and slammed against the dome just behind her. She fell to the ground, more disoriented then hurt, and punched both fists into the earth, Jagged spires of earth erupted all around her. She heard Combustion Man draw in a deep breath, and knew what was coming next.

She tore her hands out of the earth, planted her feet solidly on the ground and slammed her palms into the spires in front of her. They exploded. Earth and rock shot out in every direction but Toph's, the largest of the rock fragments flying directly at Combustion Man.

He easily blasted the attack out of the air, but he wasn't Toph's only target. All around the combat zone, stones of all shapes sizes rained from the sky, both from Toph's initial attack and Combustion Man's defensive blast. Changdou's men ran for cover, fleeing into the forest to avoid being pelted by the shower of stones. Changdou yelled out furiously, trying to keep order as a large rock bounced off his helmet, denting it and knocking him to the ground.

As more soldiers succumbed to falling rocks while other scattered to avoid their fate, Toph moved towards Combustion Man and away from the dome. Paying no heed to the soldiers, Combustion Man Kept his focus on the little blind girl moving toward him. He fired on her, Toph kicked up a wall that exploded in front of her. She swiftly dodged between the larger rocks, a small stone cut across the cheek, but she hardly took notice.

He attacked again, keeping Toph on the defensive. Her feet shifted the the dirt as boulders jumped out of the ground at the command of her hands movements. She was barely able to launch the barrage before it exploded in front of her. She was forced backwards, sliding across the ground as she rooted her feet to the ground. A shard of rock cut across her right arm, tearing open her sleeve and gashing her arm.

She tried throwing out another attack, but Combustion Man was already firing on her again. Another wall heaved out of the ground and exploded. While trying to steady herself from the latest attack, she could feel the soldiers beginning to regroup around her.

_Great, having to deal with Sparky's bad enough without having to worry about the rest of these losers. _She moved her hands through the air, stirring up a cloud dust all around them, concealing herself as she thought of a way to turn this battle to her favor.

She slid her foot into the dirt and found Combustion Man. She sent a ripple of ground toward hm, hoping to pull him into the ground, but was once again put on the defensinve as he unleashed a series of wild unaimed attacks. Beams of energy burst through the dust cloud. Toph could hear the air pop and sizzle as a blast shot just past her and toward the dome. She was barley able to move in time to block the shelter from being destroyed.

"That's it!" Toph yelled out as she hrust her hands out in front of her and curled her fingers, as though grabbing hold of the air itself.

Combustion Man's flurry of attacks scattered the dust cloud away from him. He locked on Toph's position and prepared to fire, but was thrown off balance as the very ground beneath him began to tremble and quake. He fell to one knee, trying to catch his balance as the earth seemingly fought his every attempt to do so. Changdou's troops scattered again, or made an attempt too. Soldiers swayed and fell, like sailors in rough sea's. More troops fled into the woods, grabbing trees (and each other) in an attempt to keep on their feet.

Toph gritted her teeth and pushed her hands down through the air. In response, The ground began to tear apart. A circular mass of earth, nearly fifty meters in diameter with Toph at it's center, started to collapse into the ground.

Changdou's men (the few that still remained) jumped back as the earth in front of them ripped open and began to sink. Jagged slabs of rock burst out from the ground around them as tons of displaced earth punched out through the ground around the slowly sinking mass.

Sweat broke out on her forehead, beading up and running down her face, collecting on her chin and dripping to the trembling earth below her feet. While she was one of the strongest earthbenders around, her strength laid in her precision more so than raw power. She'd never moved this much earth at one time before, and the tremendous strain was taking it's toll.

She dug her feet into the ground and pushed harder. The pit, now fifteen feet submerged sunk even deeper. As the displaced earth buckled and broke around the pits edge, Changdou's control over his men seemed to be doing the same. More soldiers scrambled into the woods while others tried in vain to retain a semblance of order among their comrades.

Through it all, Toph kept equal concentration on the dome behind her and her friends within, taking great effort to keep the ground underneath it as still as possible while maintaining a sufficient level of chaos everywhere else. With all that going on, she couldn't get a fix on Sokka's heartbeat. After a moment, she gave up trying. That was in Katara's hands now.

Now, nearly thirty feet down, the ground slowed and finally came to a grinding halt.

Toph fell to her hands and knees, almost blacking out for a second as the strain caught up to her. She pushed herself back to her feet, just as Combustion Man was doing the same.

The Dome stood at the edge of the pit behind her. The firebender's above wouldn't be able to penetrate the dome's thick rock walls. The only two people capable of that task now stood face to face in Toph's improvised arena.

_There!_ She thought. _There was no way out. Now it's just you and me._

Combustion man assessed the situation quickly. He could blast the dome from here, but that would leave him open to attack from the little blind earthbender. He'd have to deal with her first, then claim his prize once she was out of the way.

He shifted his feet and assumed a fighting stance. Toph's punched her fist into the palm of her other hand. "Alright, lets' do this."

Combustion Man wasted no time with words as he immediately shot a blast toward her. Toph swung her fists, attempting to block, but she still hadn't recovered and the earth responded sluggishly to her commands. The ground began to buckle, but it was too late. Toph abandoned her attempt to earthbend and jumped aside, barely dodging the blast. A large chunk of the wall behind her blew to pieces. Toph rolled to her feet and countered. Jabbing her hands out and sending several small rocks shooting from the ground. Combustion Man blasted through them The ground in front of Toph exploded and she was thrown backward, bouncing and rolling across the ground.

She slid to a stop, immediately punching the ground and sending up a series of thick rock walls in front of her. She pushed herself to her feet as the first wall exploded. She felt a stinging in left eye as the sound of another explosion met her ears She reached up to touch it as another barrier exploded and felt something wet and warm running into her eye. She reached up a bit further to discover a nasty gash across her forehead, coating the left side of her face with blood.

Just as the second to last wall exploded, Toph screamed and slammed both palms against the mound of earth in front of her. The barrier tore to pieces, shooting rocks forth in furious succession. She heard the sound of stones bouncing off metal. Through the earth, she could feel Combustion Man reeling backward as the unexpected hail of stones pelted him.

Through the combination of both their attacks, Toph was once again obscured by a think cloud of dust. Using it to her advantage, Toph reached down and pulled two large rocks out of the ground, one in each hand. She stomped down and a pillar of stone shot her through the air.

As soon as her feet left the pillar, it was blasted to pieces (it seemed Combustion man had already recovered himself). Toph sailed out of the dust just in time to see Combustion Man firing another blast into it.

In the air, she was completely blind, but thanks to his second blast into the dust cloud, Toph's sensitive hearing locked on to where he was and she threw her first rock. He had no time to blast neither her nor her attack out of the air. He brought his metallic arm up and blocked the large stone just before it hit him. The rock hit his arm with a loud 'CLANG', denting it and sending him reeling back off balance and off guard.

This was Toph's chance. She reached back to throw the other rock, aiming at where she heard that last _'clang'_, but stopped when she heard a disturbingly familiar whistling sound growing louder.

_Arrows!_

Quickly twisting herself in the air, she tore the rock in half to use as a shield. Two arrows 'plinked' off the rocks, a third skimed off the side and cut across the back of her right hand. She cringed, dropping the rock half as she sailed toward wall on the far side of the pit.

She slammed into the wall, halfway up the pit. Her hands and feet dug into the rock as though it were wet clay as she ground to a stop. With hands and feet once again touching the earth, she could 'see' three archers standing along the pits edge, taking aim at her once again.

Twisting her hands and pushing them deeper into the stone, she countered before they could even draw their bow strings. All around the perimeter of the pit, jagged spires of earth and stone exploded out of the ground. The archers were sent flying. More of Changdou's men were sent tumbling through the air. The few that had remained steadfastly at his side now began to run for cover.

Toph pushed her hands in deeper as spikes of earth and more jagged rock formations tore out of the earths surface and stretched further into the air. The archers and firebenders could probably make their way through her obstacles, but it was going to take time. For the time being, the 'arena' now belonged to Toph and her opponent.

_That's one less problem to worry about._ Toph thought. But before she could even pull her hands out of the rock, she heard the air nehind her crackle as another blast came towards her. She pushed herself off the cliffside just as it exploded above her. The force of the explosion slammed her into the ground faster than she could respond. Toph hit hard and blacked out.

Combustion Man watched a small plum of dirt puff up from the ground were the small blind girl hit. He waited a moment, but she didn't stand up. With a grunt, he turned to his next target. He looked up at the dome sitting atop the other side of the pit. He inhaled, thrust his head forward, and fired.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Katara's concentration was now fully focused on Sokka's still bleeding wound. The ground had only just settled, and Katara was still bewildered as to what Toph was doing outside the dome that had caused such a prolonged quaking. At least it meant she was still alive.

Sokka's eyes slowly opened as another explosion shook the dome. Katara was kneeling above him, her hands covered in water and doing all she could to close the wound across his chest. He glanced around, the inside of the dome lit by the soft blueish glow coming off Aang's arrows. Another explosion rocked the dome, dust and debris fell around them.

"Where's Toph!"

Katara's seemed starlted as her eyes moved from his wound to meet his gaze. She'd been concentrating so intently on his wound, she hadn't realized he'd woken up.

"She's out there..."

"She'd fighting him alone! How could you..."

We'd still be fighting him together if you hadn't run out there like that" Katara shot back, trying to keep her temper.

Sokka tried to sit up, but fell back down as a wave of pain shot through his chest.

"Seriously" Katara continued. "What were you thinking?"

"I figured out his weakness"

"What? That he's allergic to idiots!" Katara said as she placed her hands back on his wound as it began to bleed again after Sokka's attempt to sit up.

"He can't use his power up close, not unless he wants to blow himself up too" Another explosion shook that ground as he tried to explain.."We've gotta let Toph know..."

Another explosion, this time more muffled and sounding further away, interrupted him again.

"Sokka... I can't get us out of here" Katara began to explain, now regretting that she'd tried to keep it a secret from. "My waterbending, it's..."

Everything around her exploded. Caught completely by surprise, she screamed as she was thrown forward, almost falling across Sokka but catching herself before before sparwling across him by planting her palms on the ground just beside him. Katara pushed herself up and both her and Sokka looked through the clearing smoke and dust where the wall of the dome had once been.

Half of the dome, as well as a good portion of the ground under it, was gone. As the air cleared, Katara found herself staring into a massive pit. Combustion Man stood in the center starring back. Her breath caught in her throat, She didn't see Toph anywhere.

Combustion Man gave her no time for concern. As soon as their eyes met, he began to inhale. Katara jumped to her feet, already snaking a tendril of water through the air.

Combustion Man blasted straight through it and hit the wall just below them. The ground in front of Katara crumbled away as massive chunks of earth broke away and fell into the pit. The ground stopped collapsing only a few feet away from Sokka and Aang.

Katara stood in front of them, her mind racing for a way to defend her brother and Aang from another attack. With her water now gone, she only had herself... then what?

The smoke from the last attack cleared. Combustion Man's cold unwavering eyes starred back up at her. She stared back defiantly, knowing full well it was an empty gesture, but she refused to die begging or cowering. Not wasting anymore time, the assassin attacked.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Toph's sightless eyes flickered open. At first she couldn't remember where she was or what she was doing, only that her head felt like it had fought in the earth rumble tournement without the rest of her, and lost. The sound of an explosion and scream jarred her memory.

_Katara! ...Sokka!_

She rolled to her knees and tried to stand, but something pulled her head down from the left. Still disoriented, it took her a second to realize she was kneeling on her own hair. Her headband was missing, having been torn off in the fall, and now her long hair spilled down around her in.

_Great this is all I need,maybe twinkletoes has the right idea after all..._

She lifted her knee, freed her hair and did her best to throw the tangled mess of it back over her shoulders, then stood up just as the sound of another explosion drew her attention again.

Toph pulled herself out of the shallow crater her impact had made in the ground and planted her feet firmly in the soil to get a look at the arena. She could sense Combustion Man facing away from her, though his image was still a bit fuzzy since her head was still throbbing.

She felt him shift, preparing for another attack Toph kicked her foot into the ground, sending out a rippling through the ground in his direction. She may not be able to see him very well, but his metal leg stuck out like a beckon.

Just as Combustion Man was about to fire on Katara, his leg shot out from under him. His blast went wild, firing straight up and exploding high above the forest, momentarily lighting up the night sky and forest canopy for miles around.

"Toph" Katara yelled out it relief. She ran over and prepared to climb into the pit "I'll be right..."

The earth moved under Katara. Throwing her off her feet and onto her butt.

"Back off sugarqueen" Toph practically growled. "Sparky's MINE!"

Katara opened her mouth, intending to yell back, but stopped when she got a better look at Toph. It wasn't the blood running down the side of her face, or Toph's long tangled hair, or the many other small injuries adorning the small earthbender that made Katara pause, but the look on her face. Katara had seen Toph mad before. Plenty of time in fact. But nothing like this.

Toph was pissed.

Katara decided it best not to get in her way.

Combustion Man rolled from his back onto his stomach just in time to see the earth buckling and rippling straight towards him. He jumped back as a blossom of rocky spike's burst from the ground where he'd just been.

As he landed, the ground shifted and wrapped around his metallic foot. His momentum carried him backward and he was once again sprawled out on the ground looking up at the night sky. He snapped himself up, foot still trapped, and was about to attack when a slab of rock lifted from the earth beside him and began to fold over on top of him.

With all his strength, he smashed the earth encasing his foot, and rolled away just as the slab of earth smashed into the ground like a book being slammed shut.

Combustion Man rolled to his feet, turned toward the small girl and inhaled to gather his chi for another attack. The ground in front of him burst open as a pillar of earth shot forth at a low angle, hitting him directly in the chest sending him flying through the air. He smashed against the side of the pit just under the dome, sliding of the rock wall and landing unsteadily on his feet, momentarily stunned.

Toph came sprinting across the 'arena', a large rock in hand. She ran up the angled pillar she'd just attacked him with and threw it at him. The rock soared towards it target with the unnatural accuracy and speed only an earthbender could provide.

Instead of blasting it, Combustion Man waited until the last moment, dodged to the side, then returned fire. Toph jumped off and sunk into the earth as the stone pillar exploded into nothing but dust and pebbles behind her.

The ground were Toph submerged herself began to heave and shift. Ripples tore across the surface of the ground as though a badger mole was furiously tunneling through it. Combustion Man fired at quickly moving upheaval of earth, but his target changed direction, avoiding the blast completely. He shifted on his feet, trying to follow the trail of rippling rock as it quickly moved across the ground. He fired again and again, but he couldn't lock on to it. Every time he fired, his target immediately shifted. The borrowing shot up the wall and began barreling toward him. He stumbled away from the side of the pit while still trying to blast the earthbender out of the wall with little success.

He backed away, getting as far away from the wall as he could. The burrowing increased in speed and tore across the pit wall, away from the dome and then suddenly stopped.

Everything went eerily silent. Combustion Man's eyes darted back and forth, scanning the arena walls for an attack. If she'd sudden;y burrowed deeper, he'd have no idea where the atack would come from. He turned and shifted, looking all around and listening for any indication of where his opponent might be.

From behind him a rumble in the wall caught his attention. He turned just in time to see the cliffside of the arena explode. A humanoid form, completely encased in rock, shot out of the wall, hurtling toward him at tremendous speed.

"YEAH! GET EM' TOPH" Sokka couldn't help but yell out.

The rockman closed half the distance between the wall and Combustion Man before he could shift his feet and ready another attack. It was another quarter of the distance closer, by the time he drew in a breath. A smile spread across the faces of Katara and Sokka as it looked certain Toph had him.

**'BOOM'**

With less than ten feet between them, Combustion Man fired. The rockman exploded, showering the pit and Combustion Man with pebbles and debris. The explosion pushed the assassin back, but he stayed on his feet. Sokka and Katara watched breathlessly as the smoke cleared away...

Combustion Man had hit his target dead on. There was nothing left, no sign of Toph.

"NO!" Sokka yelled despite the pain. "TOPH! NOOO!"

Katara, momentarily speechless, clutched at her chest with one hand as the other went up to her mouth. _No, no this can't be real._ She thought. _Did I just watch... Did I just see Toph... die._

"Toph" She whispered almost inaudibly as tears started falling down her cheeks.

The smoke settled. Combustion Man stood in the middle of the arena... alone. He glanced back and forth, as though making sure he'd eliminated her this time. Satisfied, he turned back to the dome. His eyes met with Katara's again.

"You MONSTER!" Katara yelled out. She threw her arms above her head and strained to pull water from the atmosphere around her, but in her weakened state, it was useless. Combustion Man inhaled, took a step forward, and fell flat on his face.

Katara stopped, momentarily confused.

She heard a short burst of laughter from Sokka and looked at him horrified that he could find anything funny after what just happened.

"Look" Sokka said, pointing at Combustion Man. Katara turned her head, still bewildered by his sudden change of mood. She looked at Combustion Man, her spear of ice still floating above her, ready to strike. He was bent over on his hands and knees, looking back at his metallic foot. He seemed to be struggling to stand, as though something were... and that's when she saw it.

A pair of small pale hands were sticking out of the earth, fingers pinched and pressed into the metal of Combustion Man's prosthetic right foot.

In that moment, everything became clear to her. Toph had never moved from the spot were she'd sunk into the ground. The trails burrowing through the floor and walls of the pit, what she had assumed to be Toph, had been nothing but a distraction. She hadn't been trying to get closer to Combustion Man, she'd lured him to her.

Combustion Man looked down and saw the small fingers curled into the metal of his foot. Gripping it as though it were nothing more bread dough.

He was about to jerk his leg away when the ground underneath him opened up and swallowed his entire right leg. He tried fighting back, furiously twisting and pulling in a futile attempt to free himself.

The ground in front of him opened and Toph stepped out from the hole. Her breath came heavy and ragged. She was bloodied and battered, her long hair matted with dirt. There was a brief pause as the two sized each other up once more.

With a sudden surge of adrenaline (and no small amount of rage) Combustion Man tore his right leg from the ground and charged Toph. Suddenly, the world twisted out from under him as he crashed back into the ground. He pulled himself to his hands and knees, then looked down and saw what the problem was. He slowly lifted his head to face Toph, who now stood only a few feet away.

"Missing something?" She asked, holding up his mangled metal leg in one hand.

Combustion Man roared and reared back to swing at her. Toph ran at him, switching her grip and holding the metal prosthetic like a club, slammed it across the side of his face. A few teeth flew from his mouth as Combustion Man went down, fast first in the dirt.

Toph jumped on his back, and as Combustion man reeled up to try and buck her off, she pulled the metal limb across his face and twisted it around the back of his head. Metal shrieked as Toph finger's dug into, twisting the iron as easily as tying a bow, and pinching it together behind his head.

Combustion Man twisted himself sideways, throwing Toph off his back. She landed on the ground beside him and took a step back as he struggled in vain to removed the metal blindfold. His mouth remained uncovered, but with both his eyes and forehead encased, he was now just as blind as Toph and, unless he planned on blowing up his own head, completely unable to use his power.

Enraged, he swung his fists wildly, trying to find his opponent. Toph easily avoided his clumsy attacks, staying just out of reach as he shifted about on his knees trying to find her.

"Right here big man" Toph spat out at between heavy breaths as she moved within arms reach of him. Combustion Man locked on to the voice, and, putting all his strength into this last ditch effort, raised his metal hand and swung at the voice.

Toph didn't move. She reeled back and threw her own punch, meeting his attack fist to (metal) fist.

Against any other opponent, his attack should have been devastating. Breaking the hand, and arm of his target and powering through to tear easily across their head or chest to finish the fight. But this wasn't just any other opponent.

As their fists collided, his metal arm crumpled and twisted under the assault of the tiny metalbenders attack. As her fist ripped through his, Toph's fingers opened, digging into metal and ripping it in half as easily as ripping apart a wet piece of parchment. With a sharp yank foreword, she pulled Combustion Man off balance and used his own momentum to send him careening face first into the dirt.

She hopped onto his back, his mangled prosthetic still gripped tightly in her fingers, and used his monetary disorientation to pull and twist the shredded metal of his right arm around the real fist of his left. Shackling them together behind his back.

Toph jumped off just as he spun himself around and began furiously thrashing about, struggling in futility against his improvised bonds. A stomp from Toph's foot sent him flying as the ground beneath him bucked, throwing him high into the air.

"That's for coming back to life" She yelled as he landed with a solid 'THUD' just in front of her.

Though sightless, her eyes seemed to lock onto him for a moment. She took a step foreword, pulled back her fist and punched the metal plate covering his forehead and face. An indent the size of her small put powerful fist was left behind as he fell to the ground, unconscious.

_...And that's for hurting Sokka_ She thought with satisfaction at the feeling of him lying motionless in the dirt.

Toph stumbled back, her legs suddenly feeling like rubber underneath her. As the rush of adrenaline subsided, the pain of her own injuries and exhaustion quickly washed over her.

"ALRIGHT TOPH, YOU SHOWED HIM WHO HE WAS MESSIN' WITH" She heard Sokka yell from above. A smile creased her lips at the sound of Sokka's voice. He was apparently feeling better. _Thanks sugerqueen._

She could also hear Katara voice, but the words seemed distant and muffled as even the strength to stand drifted away from her. Mustering what strength she had left in her body, Toph thrust her fist triumphantly into the air and yelled out to the night sky "NOBODY BEATS THE THE BLIND BANDIT!"

With her fist still held high, Toph wavered, fell backward, and blacked out before even hitting the ground.

Katara was already in motion, scrambling down the blasted edge of the arena. Sokka, stable but far from healed, reluctantly stayed behind (not that he had much of a choice). As he watched his sister climb down into the pit to help Toph, his attention was drawn by something on the other side of makeshift arena. The jagged rock formations lining the pit were begenning to glow a dull red as smoke curled out around them. Before he could yell a warning to Katara, they exploded in a sea of flames.

The sudden and unexpected explosion caused Katara to loose her footing. She tumbled, caught a handhold, and jumped the rest of the way down into the pit. She hit the ground and rolled to absorb the impact, luckily avoiding any injury.

Dozens of fire bender's stepped through the clearing smoke. General Changdou pushed his way through them to stand at the front. A look of incredulous disbelief spread across his face as he surveyed the situation in front of him. The assassin he'd put so much stock in, the man he honestly thought could deliver them the Avatar, lie unmoving in the middle of the pit. His hands shackled behind his back and his own twisted metal scrap of a leg wrapped around his head.

Changdou's eyes darted between the three forms in the pit, and the two still up in the mostly destroyed dome. The Avatar still sat at the base of the statue. Tattoos still aglow and far from dead.

Changdou's temper boiled over. "KILL THEM, KILL THEM ALL!" He screamed, ordering his firebenders to attack.

Not knowing what she actually intended to do, especially with no water at her disposal, Katara broke into a run in Toph's direction.

Sokka pulled himself to the edge of the pit and watched in horror as a wall of fire rolled in towards his sister and best friend.


	19. Chapter 18: Frenzy in the Forest

**I apologize for this taking so long. For the past few weeks, I've been working with a friend, 7 days a week 12 hours a day (and sometimes more) to get his 6 unit condo on the market within the next two weeks. My days have pretty much been, work, get home, shower, eat, fall asleep at my keyboard after typing one sentence. Thankfully, that works getting to an end and I hope to be putting out chapters at least once a week in the near future. Trust me, I want to finish writting this story as much (hopefully) as you want to finish reading it. **

**ON WITH THE STORY!!**

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

**Chapter 18**

Frenzy in the Forest.

Working against all natural human instincts, Katara rushed towards the avalanche of fire closing in on Toph's unconscious body. There was no plan, no way to stop the flames, no way to escape them once she reached her target. But all that didn't matter, logic didn't matter. She wasn't going to watch her friend die and do nothing about it. She _had_ to get to Toph.

Diving over the unconscious Combustion Man, Katara hit the ground rolling and slid to a stop next to Toph. She wrapped her arms around Toph and began to scoop her off the ground just as the flames licked at her back and singed her hair.

Overwhelmed by the heat, she stumbled forward and fell to her knees, never letting go of Toph. She pulled the blind earthbender to her chest and leaned forward, covering her against the flames, hoping against hope that her body might, at the very least, shelter her from the flames. At that very moment, everything went dark, and Katara could have sworn she felt the ground rumble beneath her.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Just behind the firebenders, the Yu-Yan archers steadied themselves atop the crumbled rock pillars, loaded their bows and fired on the still-meditating Avatar.

Sokka found himself in much the same position as his sister. No matter what, he wasn't going to let Aang die, and despite the pain in his chest, he pushed himself up off the ground and put himself between the arrows and their intended target. As the attack closed in, he closed his eyes and prepared his final thoughts, not noticing the sudden gust of air that sent a flutter of movement across the edges of his torn and bloodied clothes.

_I'm sorry Suki, looks like I won't be able to see you again after all. I just hope Katara and Toph are all right. Aang you better take care of... Wait, shouldn't those arrows have hit me by now?_

* * * * * * * * * * *

The trip back from Koh's lair went even faster than the trip there. Hei Bai, in its larger, more alien form, shifted and moved through the spirit world landscape where, more than once, Aang came very close to losing his grip and being thrown off. Despite that, Aang made no attempt to either calm or slow him. If the spirit was this anxious and agitated, that could only mean something was wrong in the forest it protected. Which meant Koh hadn't been lying, and his friends were in trouble.

Hei Bai came to a sudden halt, bucking forward and sending Aang tumbling up and over its head. Exhaling a stream of light from its mouth, Hei Bai sent Aang back to the mortal world and then made the same journey itself.

* * * * * * * * * * *

In a flash, Aang was descending back to Hei Bai's statue to reconnect with his body. Aang's spirit hovered in the air above his body for only the briefest of moments, but during that time, Aang drank in the entire, horrifying scene around him. Sokka knelt in front of Aang's physical form, his clothes shredded and bloody. The ground all around was shifted, torn, and scarred. Most notably, a massive pit now spread out before Hei-Bai's statue, a pit that seemed to be either erupting or filling with fire. Something was moving in the pit, running, a human form...

_Katara!_

He was in the Avatar state the moment he entered his body. His glowing eyes flicked open to see Sokka standing in front of him, using his own body to shield Aang from an oncoming barrage of arrows. The Avatar's right hand spiraled foreword. Swirling vortices sliced through the air, shooting around Sokka and shredding the arrows to bits. Aang opened his stance and thrust his arms upward. A wall of rock burst forth from the earth, cutting across the center of the pit and blocking the firebenders attack without a moment to spare.

Sokka slowly opened one eye and looked around him. He was alive for some reason, the arrows were gone, the pit in front of him was cut in half by a wall of earth, and Katara and Toph were safe. He peered back over his shoulder.

A sigh of relief escaped his lips as Sokka's legs gave out from under him. As he fell back, the ground rose up behind him, catching him and lowering him gently to the ground. Aang stepped forward, lifted his hands to chest level then pushed down. The wall of earth responded in kind, sinking back into the ground. As the barrier disappeared between them, Aang's eyes locked onto the Fire Nation soldiers seemingly leading the attack.

* * * * * *

Changdou had no idea what was going on. One moment, he was looking gleefully into a billowing cloud of fire as it engulfed his enemies, then the attack suddenly broke apart, crashing like a wave against a wall of rock that hadn't been there before.

Had the earthbender woken up?

As the wall receded into the ground, Changdou's heart caught in his throat. Standing on the opposite ridge of the pit, his glowing eyes burning into Changdou, stood the Avatar.

In that moment, none of his troops moved or made a sound. Changdou felt his heart beat, then an eternity passed before it beat again.

"RUN!" a nameless voice screamed out from the ranks of Changdou's soldiers.

A sea of panic ensued as everything and everyone started moving again. Most men turned to run, while a stalwart few took a fighting stance and began to attack. Either decision was equally useless. Changdou watched as, all around him, the ground opened up and swallowed his men up to the neck.

Changdou jumped back as the ground beneath his own feet began to tear open. Barely avoiding the fate of the men around him, Changdou scrambled backward, yelling orders to the remaining soldiers to retreat. With his assassin beaten and the Avatar back, the best he could hope for now was to escape with as many men as possible. He made it to the cover of the trees while more of his troops were swallowed into the ground around him.

Jumping silently from trees, the Yu-Yan archers (the five he had) were able to avoid the fate of the other soldiers and followed alongside Changdou.

Confident that the trees blocked him from the Avatar's sight, the angered and distraught General called the archers to his side.

He ordered them to fire through the trees, to strike down the Avatar from cover. If just one lucky arrow could get through while the boy was distracted, he could still have his victory yet.

Bow strings creaked all around him as the archers readied their salvo. An arrow let loose, and with a solid _'THUNK'_ buried itself into a tree trunk just in front of Changdou. The General spun around, wondering how one of the legendary archer's could have misfired so. One of the Yu-Yan lay unmoving on the ground. The other three, arrows drawn at the ready, scanned the trees around them. Before words could form themselves in Changdou's mouth, he caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned just in time to see another Yu-Yan fall to the ground, seemingly conscious, but unable to move.

"What ..." He yelled out as the archer to his left also fell. More movement behind him, he turned just in time to catch a flash of green and white as the fourth Yu-Yan hit the ground. He heard another, what sounded like a rapid succession of punches, then turned to see the last archer laying on the ground, moaning and paralyzed.

He spun around, fire bursting to life in his hand as he looked back and forth for the attacker. Something hit the ground behind him. He turned, bringing his hand up to blast his assailant. A hand clamped down on his wrist as a series of bee sting like jabs rained across the back of his shoulder. His flame went out as his arm went limp.

A jet of flame ignited in his other hand, but before he could even turn, another quick succession of strikes moved down his spine. Changdou fell to his knees, as his entire body refused to respond. He hit the ground face first and yelled a few mumbled obscenities into the dirt.

A boot tucked itself under his side and unceremoniously kicked him over onto his back.

Changdou's eyes traced up the figure of his attacker: black boots, a green dress, and a belt that held both a sword and fan that hadn't been drawn. A slender, black, segmented breastplate covered the torso of...

"No" Changdou whispered under his breath as his eyes came upon the white painted face of what was obviously a young girl. _I was beaten by this...child... this girl!?_

"Oh great," Ty Lee looked down at him, "Suki told me not to attack you guys, but what was I supposed to do." She leaned down over him, planting her booted foot on his chest and yelled, "If I get in trouble, this is all your fault, you stupid jerk!"

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

While most of the soldiers not yet trapped in the ground simply fled in panic, some decided on far more sinister tactics to cover their escape.

"Halt!" A lieutenant yelled from behind eight other fleeing soldiers. They stopped and spun around to face their commanding officer.

"Alright, calm down," He demanded, paying heed to the panic none of them bothered hiding. "Set this forest ablaze, we'll cover our tracks with fire and give the Avatar something else to worry about rather than coming after us."

The panic hadn't gone from their faces. In fact, it only seemed to increase, and what was more infuriating was that they no longer seemed to even be paying attention to him. Their terror-filled eyes focused on something behind him, and he supposed they were looking back in the direction of the Avatar. These cowards!

Angered, a flame burst to life in his hand. "I'll show you how it's..."

A sudden rush of warm air extinguished the flame in his hand. A low unnatural growl came from directly behind him, a chill went down his spine and his body stiffened as something exhaled its warm breath across his back. Slowly, the lieutenant turned, only to come face to face with a towering black and white creature, the likes of which he'd never witnessed before.

"…done!?" he finished his sentence meekly.

Hei-Bai opened its mouth and roared, releasing a blast of energy and sending the soldiers sailing through the trees. The soldiers rained back down to earth, some colliding with trees, others landing in thorny bushes. The few conscious ones abandoned all thoughts of burning the forest and ran for their lives, fleeing as fast as their injured bodies would allow.

Hei-Bai didn't pursue them, instead shifting its attention to others that might try the same tactic. It would not see its woods burned a second time.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Another group of soldiers, fleeing through the forest from the awakened Avatar, came to a halt as a strange apparition seemed to materialize out of nowhere in front of them.

What stood before them was what could only be described as half-man and half-rabbit. It stood in front of them, but not looking at them. The strange creature glanced about curiously as though it was unsure as to where it was. The soldiers took a moment to ascertain the situation. They glanced back and forth at each other, exchanging shrugs and confused looks, then back to this newly arrived being in front of them, it still not paying them much attention. It was only after a few moments of neither party making a move that the soldiers recovered enough composure to go on the attack. After all, what could a four foot tall rabbit creature do to them… the Fire Nations finest?

They rushed the creature, weapons drawn, flames erupting from hands and feet, and zeroed in on their target with the same ferocity that had made the Fire Nation feared for the last hundred years.

Taeroon looked up at the attacking soldiers with only the mild interest one might give a passing butterfly.

The forest around them erupted with a crackling green energy, the likes of which no human bender was capable of producing. The night sky lit up with a pale green glow. Men dressed in black and red uniforms, adorned with skull-like helmets, were sent tumbling through the trees. Others tumbled across the ground, like dolls tossed aside at a child's indifference, coming to rest amongst the trees and brush. Most motionless, others unconscious, all injured, but none fatally so.

Taeroon stood at the epicenter of it all, flexing his hand and looking at it with a curious fascination.

"I had forgotten just how easy it is to expel energy in the mortal plane." He looked around at what his attack had done with, not with pride, but more of a disinterested annoyance. "I have no desire to bathe in the thoughts of such violent creatures any longer than I have to. The master wished for my assistance and I have assisted."

And, just as he had appeared, the spirit creature vanished from the forest.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Elsewhere, five soldiers fled across a brief stretch of open field.

Out of nowhere, a lemur swooped down from the sky and attached itself to the face of the soldier lagging behind. The others stopped as they heard him scream out, batting and waving his hands as the small gray and white creature scurried around his head, deftly avoiding the man's attempts to capture him and spinning his helmet backwards in the process.

So distracted by the unusual sight before them, the remaining soldiers failed to notice the large shadow blocking out the moonlight around them. The only warning they had was a deep and loud bellow that pulled their attention skyward just before Appa came crashing down on top of them. The ten-ton sky bison pinned the four soldiers to the ground under his two front paws (luckily for them, Appa rested most of his considerable weight on his back four).

Two women, both dressed in uniforms similar to the girl that had stopped Changdou, jumped off the sky bison's back. As one began binding the wrists of the soldiers trapped under Appa's paws, the other ran over to the soldier Momo was still tormenting, drawing her sword in the process.

The lemur flew away as soon as the Kyoshi warrior reached them. The first thing that greeted the soldier's eyes as he pulled his backward helmet off was the tip of a katana, mere inches from his face.

Before either of them could move, an otherworldly scream emanated from the forest followed by the panicked screams of several men. The chaos and noise seemed to be coming from the forest in all directions. In all this commotion, the female warrior knew that locating what she'd come here to find might not be as easy as she'd hoped.

"Where are they!?" Suki demanded, pushing her weapon a few hairs closer to his face.

"W-W-Who?" The soldier stammered, shaking and nearly soiling himself in fear.

"The Avatar and his friends, that's who!"

The quivering man pointed back into the forest the way he'd come. Suki lowered her sword, grabbed him by the collar and forced him to his knees. Quickly binding his hands behind his back and looping part of the binding to his left foot, Suki turned to the other Kyoshi Warrior, who was finishing applying the same binding to the other prisoners as Appa stepped back to release them from under his gigantic paws.

"Lin, can you handle these prisoners by yourself?"

"Not a problem."

"Good. Alright Appa, let's go. Yip yip!"

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Katara held tightly onto her injured friend as the wall of stone receded around them. It took her a moment to realize what was happening. At first she thought Toph had woken up, but when she looked down to see her still laying listlessly in her arms, she knew who it was that had saved them.

She looked up and saw Aang standing at the edge of the pit. His glowing eyes weren't looking back at her, but focused across the way. As he began moving his hands, the panicked screams of soldiers filled the air behind her. She didn't look back to see what was happening. All she could do was keep her eyes locked on Aang.

He wasn't the anger fueled, out of control boy she'd witnessed in the past. Though fully in the Avatar state, every move was calculated, every motion of his hands and feet had purpose. This wasn't the defense mechanism of a scared or angry child. Before her, she was witnessing, for the first time, a fully realized and in control Avatar.

He continued pulling soldiers into the ground, immobilizing them without injuring them. Blasts of fire came from a group of soldiers to his right, and without even looking, Aang swung his right hand toward the attack. With a twist of his wrist he sent forth a blast of air powerful enough to not only blow out the fire, but send the offending soldiers tumbling backward across the ground. They were stopped as another slight movement of Aang's right hand lifted a wall of rock up in their path, and with a twitch of his fingers, stone encased their hands and feet. With that display, any thoughts of retaliation from the few remaining die-hard loyalists was swept away. Almost in unison, they turned and fled into the forest.

Aang didn't care about the fleeing soldiers, and with the immediate threat gone, the glow faded from his eyes and tattoos. Moving past Sokka and standing at the edge of the pit, Aang spread his hands out and, with a flash of his eyes and an upward movement of his arms, began pulling the ground back in level with the rest of the forest floor.

Katara held tightly to Toph as the earth rumbled around her and quickly checked the blind earthbender over while the ground rose. Her face was half covered in blood from a nasty gash on her forehead. Smaller cuts and bruises adorned the rest of her body, but none of it seemed serious and her breathing was steady. Luckily Toph's unconsciousness seemed a result of exhaustion far more than injury.

As soon as the massive earthen slab was pulled to level with the ground around it, Aang rushed over to check on Katara and Toph.

"Is she alright?" he asked.

"She's injured, but it's nothing serious, she's just exhausted."

Before Aang could ask any more questions, a strangely familiar voice drifted in from the edge of the woods.

"Oh hey, what are you guys..." Ty Lee piped in before noticing Toph in Katara's arms. "Oh no, what happened to your little friend?" She bolted forward, moving toward their position.

"Ty Lee!? What... how?" Katara started to stammer out as Ty Lee turned her attention skyward and pointed.

"Hey, isn't that your bison?"

Sokka propped himself up on his elbows, straining to see what was going on with Katara, Aang and Toph. To his surprise, a Kyoshi warrior seemed to be standing alongside them.

_Oh great, now I'm hallucinating._

As if on cue, a female's voice floated down from somewhere up above.

"SOKKA!"

Sokka looked up to see Appa descending through the night sky toward him.

"Yup, that settles it," he whispered to himself, "I'm more injured than I thought. Appa's talking, and he sounds like Suki."

Suki jumped off Appa's back before the Bison even hit the ground. She ran over and slid to a halt on her knees next to Sokka. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"Wait! It really is you!" Sokka tried to sit up, letting his excitement overwhelm him. "This is sooo much better than a talking Appa!"

"Uh... thanks?" She scanned him over, noting the gash on his chest and the torn, blood soaked clothes. "Now tell me what happened, how did you..."

"Don't worry about me," he interrupted, pointing towards the others, "Go make sure Toph and Katara are all right."

Suki looked up to see Katara pulling the water from Ty Lee's water skin as she used it to sooth Toph's wounds. Ty Lee looked over and gave her a wide smile and a thumbs-up.

"I think they're doing ok. Now why don't you tell me what's going on. What are you guys doing here?"

Before Sokka could open his mouth, a bizarre, animalistic shriek emanated from the forest, followed by the screams of half a dozen men. It was a noise Sokka (as well as Aang and Katara) recognized as Hei-Bai, but Suki's hand flew to the handle of her sheathed Katana, and Ty Lee hunkered down in a fighting stance.

Aang put a hand on Ty Lee's wrist, "It's alright. That's a friend of mine." He turned to Katara, "Katara, take care of Toph and Sokka. I'm gonna help Hei-Bai clean up the forest." With that, he jumped up, created a swirling ball of air beneath him, and shot off into the forest on his air scooter.

After several minutes of intense concentration, Katara finally closed the gash on Toph's forehead, and a few more and she stopped the bleeding from her various other cuts and scrapes. By the time she was done, Toph was starting to come to, and Suki had made her way over to them while helping to support Sokka as he walked.

The first thing Toph heard as she regained consciousness couldn't help but give her a slight smile. "...man, you guys should have seen it," Sokka's voice came to her ears. "I mean, we only saw half of it, but that half was amazing. She took out Combustion Man all by herself."

"Hey," Toph's said as her sightless eyes began to open up, "I woulda kicked his butt a long time ago if you guys didn't want to keep runnin' away!"

Suki set Sokka down beside Katara and walked over to Combustion Man. He stirred, moving listlessly as he regained consciousness, a weary groan escaping his lips. Suki looked down at him for a moment, then quickly drew her sword, slamming the butt of it against the metal "blindfold" covering his head (and connecting dead center with fist dent Toph had already left.) Combustion Man fell back to the ground, unconscious once more.

"That's for hurting my boyfriend."

"What are you guys doing here anyway?" Katara asked as she kneeled down over her brother and started working on his wound some more.

"I saw this big huge explosion in the sky," Ty Lee said while spreading her arms wide and making explosion sound effects, "...and we were supposed to be looking for firebenders, so that seemed like a good place to start."

"But what are you guys even doing in around here?" Sokka asked Suki.

"We've been tracking a group of rogue Fire Nation soldiers. We had information that put them somewhere around Senlin village. So, once we got close, I sent the girls out to scout the surrounding forest while my second and I went to the town to see if we could find out anything from them. I was pretty surprised to find Appa and Momo when we got there. Then, I saw that same huge fireball in the sky and figured it had to have something to do with you guys, so I hopped on Appa and headed this way."

Without the chaos to distract her, and with every ounce of concentration she could muster, Katara was finally able to do more than just close Sokka's wound. As the sounds of battle began to fade from the forest around them (minus the grunts and expletives emanating from the strange garden of soldiers heads trapped in the ground around them), Aang finally returned, flying on his glider.

He landed, snapping the wings back into his staff and glanced over to his friends. From the moment he landed, Katara could sense that Aang was ill at ease. The ambush they suffered was certainly enough to put him on edge, but she could tell there was something else to it.

Before she could say anything, Sokka jumped up, reinvigorated from his healing session and pointed enthusiastically at Combustion Man. "Hey Aang, think this might be another good use of that, uh... bender bending of yours. You know, like you did with the Fire Lord?"

Aang flinched at the mention.

Aang almost seemed to recoil at the suggestion. "I... I can't," he said, looking away.

"Oh come on, of course you can," Sokka continued, oblivious to Aang's discomfort. "Like this guy's ever going to us his explody powers for anything good. It'd be better if you just..."

"I CAN'T, SOKKA!" Aang spun around, "That's the reason all this is happening!" He motioned one hand toward Katara. "Our waterbending, the Moon spirit! It's all in danger because of ME! Because I messed up! Now the world's in trouble again and It's my fault!"

There was a moment of tension-filled silence as the gravity of Aang's outburst settled in on everyone. No one really knew how to respond, since no one really knew what Aang was talking about.

"What do you mean Yue's in danger?" Sokka cut through the silence. "I _knew_ something was up. You said everything was OK, so why were you keeping this from me?"

"Sokka, we just didn't want you to worry," Katara jumped to Aang's defense.

"Oh, so you just lied to me instead. Why, you didn't think I'd..."

"Hey, uh, guys" Ty Lee chimed in meekly. "You shouldn't be fighting like this. I mean, you're all supposed to be friends, right?"

"Yeah, supposed to be," Sokka turned his back and crossed his arms.

"It's not like that, Sokka!" Katara yelled. "How do you think I feel? My bending's everything to me, and now..." she stopped, realizing she was only making Aang feel worse.

"Aang, I didn't..."

"Katara," Aang tapped the end of his staff on the ground, triggering the gliders wings. "Take Appa, get everyone back to the village and healed up. I'll help Suki and Ty Lee round up the prisoners."

Before she could say anymore, he shot up into the night sky on a gust of wind and sailed away.

* * * * * *

Hours later

* * * * * *

Toph, now fully recovered (if not more than a bit tired), had created a temporary stone wall prison just behind the village hall. Appa was making rounds back and forth from the forest, bringing a dozen or so soldiers at a time to be dropped off in the cramped cells of the earthbent prison.

Katara still kept diligently working on Sokka's wound as he lay on the ground just outside the meeting hall. Neither of them had said anything to each other since they'd returned. Katara turned her attention skyward, waiting on Aang's return.

Once she felt she did all she could, she pulled the water back into her water skin and stood up. "That should do it, how does it feel?"

"Fine, thanks Katara," He said flatly and rolled over on his side.

"We really didn't mean to keep anything from you. We just didn't know what to say. We had no idea what was going on. We just... I'm really sorry Sokka."

Sokka sat up and looked at her. "I know, and I didn't mean to blow up like that. Honestly, I think I'm just a little jealous that you and Aang have this connection to her that I don't, and never will."

"Sokka..."

"That's the last of 'em," Suki announced as she rounded the corner from behind the meeting hall.

"Aang hasn't come back yet, has he?" Katara asked.

"I saw him land by the gate, but I don't think he came in. He's probably still there."

"Thanks Suki," Katara waved to her as she turned and walked toward the gate.

Suki walked over and sat on the ground next to Sokka.

"So, you alright?"

"Oh, me? Yeah. Katara healed me up an' everything. I'll be fine," he responded, a bit nervously.

"That's not what I was talking about. I heard what you said, about the Moon spirit."

Sokka turned to look at her, feeling a bit ashamed. As he began to stammer out an apology, or ask Suki's forgiveness (not sure which he should be going for first), Suki sighed, and shoved him lightly on the shoulder.

"I'm not jealous you big dummy. She may be some big powerful spirit, but I got you to wear a dress, so I figure that puts me one up."

Sokka laughed, "Thanks Suki, but could you not bring up that dress thing?"

She leaned over and kissed him. "Sorry, gotta keep my big war hero humbled somehow."

* * * * * *

"Aang?"

Aang turned to see Katara leaning out from the town's opened gate. He was sitting on the ground with his back resting against the large wooden fence, his staff propped up next to him. He seemed even more troubled now than he had been just after saving them those few hours ago. He looked away from Katara and back down at the ground, saying nothing.

"What's wrong? What did you mean when you said it's your fault?" she asked quietly, sitting down on the ground next to him.

"I'm not sure I understand it all myself," he said placidly. He turned to look at Katara. "Somehow, when I took away the Fire Lords bending, I did something wrong, and now there's some kind of spirit creature running free in the world. It might even be stronger than the Fire Lord."

"So, well find it and we'll stop it. Just like we did with the Fire Lord," but what Katara said hardly seemed to change Aang's expression.

"It's not just that. Even since I found out I was the Avatar, everyone's been telling me how it's my destiny to defeat the Fire Lord and restore balance to the world."

He threw his hands up in frustration, "Well I stopped the Fire Lord, the worlds supposed to be at peace now, but it's not, and it's because of me. How come no one ever mentioned this part of my destiny: the battle I'd have to fight after the Fire Lord?"

He calmed himself and leaned back against the wall, once again looking down at the ground, "It just feels wrong, like this wasn't supposed to happen... I think... I think that maybe everyone was right, maybe I was supposed to have just killed the Fire Lord. Maybe then none of this would be... OW!"

He recoiled and lifted his hand to his forehead as a slight stinging assaulted him. He looked up to see Katara pulling her hand back after flicking him.

"What was that for?"

"So, you done feeling sorry for yourself?" she said to him, wearing a slight smile.

"Look Aang, we've been through a lot together, all of us. I know you like to think you have to take all the responsibility for yourself, but that's not true. We're here for you. I'm here for you. Whatever this thing is, whatever is happening to the Moon spirit... we'll figure it out, we'll stop it."

Aang looked at her and smiled. When he looked into her eyes, he felt the tension release from his body for the first time in days. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer.

As she leaned her head on his shoulder, she added one more thing, "Besides, who knows. Maybe the reason this never came up as part of your destiny is because, just this once, it's someone else's job to save the world."

He knew she was joking, but it made him feel better, none the less. After all, when it came to saving the world, who else was there?


	20. Chapter 19: Broken Bonds

_**A bit of a heads up. Parts of this chapter where originally posted a while back when I screwed up and posted a rough draft (saved in the wrong folder) instead of what was supposed to be chapter 10. I realized the mistake a few days later and made the correction (adding the "real" chapter 10). So, to some of you, this may seem a little familiar, since I ended up moving parts of that rough draft to a later chapter (this one). If that's the case, and you never saw my corrected Chapter 10, so go back and read it (don't worry, I'll wait).**_

_  
_**_The rest of you, go ahead and read away_  
**

* * *

**Chapter 19**

_Broken Bonds_

Unlike Zuko, Mai never had trouble falling asleep. And at this very moment, Zuko couldn't have envied her more.

Her head rest on Zuko's chest, her long black hair splayed wildly across the sheets that covered them. He ran his hand gently through it, moving some stray strands away from her face and, despite the mounting frustration brought on by his insomnia, he couldn't help but smile as he looked at her. He never imagined being Fire Lord could be this difficult, this stressful. Without her, he wasn't sure he could have made it through this month. She shifted slightly, her hand finding a new position on his chest, her fingernails pushed lightly into his skin as her hand gave him a slight squeeze. She drew in a deep breath and let it out as a long, satisfied sigh, a sign Zuko knew meant she was unconsciously satisfied with her new position.

His eyes drifted away from her form and back to the ceiling. There was just too much to think about, so much he was trying to do, so much that was still left to do, and probably a thousand other things he'd not even thought of yet.

His father made it look easy. Of course, that's because destruction _was _easy. Atoning for it, repairing it, healing those left in father's wake. That was the legacy he'd left to his son. He wondered briefly, had his father ever had these kinds of sleepless nights?

If not over the war, then what about the night his mother disappeared? Had he lost even a wink the night he'd scarred his own son for life and exiled him on (what was supposed to be) a fool's errand? Even now, sitting in his prison cell, had he given it a second thought when the guards informed him that his own daughter, whom he had taken so much pride in, had been taken away to a mental facility, unresponsive and whimpering like a child?

With everything else he had to concentrate on, the current situation with his sister was the last thing he wanted to think about. Mainly because it was the one thing he felt the most confused about. But now that his thoughts had wandered there, he couldn't do anything but think about it.

Azula.

The end of their Agni Kai once again mercilessly played out in his mind. She thrashed and screamed, spat fire and struggled against the chains that bound her. She threw herself backward, writhing on the ground, her screams of rage melting away as she broke down and started crying.

Azula... crying.

How long had it been since he'd last seen her cry... Had she ever?

He closed his eyes (a somewhat pointless endeavor as it was already pitch black in the room) and tried to clear the image from his head, but it simply wouldn't leave. Why couldn't he stop thinking about this, why did it somehow feel important.

Mai shifted, mumbling something in her sleep (the only word Zuko could make out was "boring"). Her hand moved up and over his chest, to his shoulder, where it stopped and came to a rest. She let out a sigh, apparently content with her new position, and settled back into a fit-less sleep.

Zuko thought of what Mai had said to him only a few days earlier.

_"Are you really doi__ng this for Azula, or this another way to get back at your father?"_

He still didn't have an answer.

_"...that little girl you remember may not exist anymore."_

He understood the very real possibility that his sister might be beyond help. Only a month ago he'd been ready to take her life, if that's what was necessary, to win back the Fire Nation and restore peace. It had been so much easier to think of his sister as corrupt and evil, someone who thought nothing of hurting others to achieve her own goals.

_"I say you take their precious hope, and all of their land, and burn it to the ground!"_

It certainly seemed to fit. The favored child of Ozai, following perfectly in her father's footsteps. Or so it seemed.

_"My own mother..__. __thought I was a mon__ster__. __She was right of course, but it still hurt."_

But as all things involving his sister, things were never as they seemed. The image of her chained to the ground and crying once again played out in his mind.

_"...but it still hurt."_

The day he'd been crowned Fire Lord, he made a promise to himself that, no matter how long it took, he'd do anything and everything in his power to reverse the damage his father had done. Again, that image played over and over. Her thrashing, screaming, struggling, crying...

The question, which only moments ago had seemed nothing more than an afterthought to the images relentlessly replaying in his head, came back to him.

_How long had it been since he'd seen her cry..._

Once he actually thought about it, the memory came to him almost immediately.

Nine years.

It had been nine years since he'd last seen his sister cry.

* * * * * *

He was eight years old. In another five years, he'd be banished from his Kingdom. Three years from now his mother would go missing, presumed dead, and his father would be crowned Fire Lord. And in 5 minutes, the relationship between him and his sister would change forever.

He'd spent the afternoon building little castles made of rocks gathered from the pond and stacked into piles. It was one of the few activities that Azula still seemed to like doing with him. Over the last year, she'd grown more and more distant. Zuko didn't know why, but he wished she'd get over whatever it was and just start playing with him again. After that, he spent some time feeding the turtleducks (something Azula absolutely refused to do anymore, to Zuko's bewilderment), then after that got boring, he headed back to his room.

As he walked down the hall, he saw Azula run across the intersection just ahead of him. She didn't seem to notice him, and for some reason, seemed to be crying.

As soon as she disappeared down the other hall, Zuko ran after her. He turned the corner just in time to see the doors to her room slam shut. Zuko walked up and slowly opened them. He peeked his head in and saw his sister lying face down on her bed. With her face pressed into the thick bed sheets, any noise was muffled, but it was obvious from jerking convulsions of her body that she was, as Zuko had thought, crying.

He pushed the door open and walked inside.

"Hey, what's wrong, why are you crying?" He asked. As soon as he spoke, her body stiffened. She quickly sat up on the bed, keeping her back to him and doing everything she could to stifle her crying. He waited a moment for her to respond, but when she said nothing, he questioned her again.

"'C'mon 'Zula, what happened?" He asked again, and once again, she didn't respond. After few moments, she slid herself off the bed, still keeping her back to him. He heard her take a few deep breaths. From behind he watched as she brought her hands to her face. He couldn't be sure from behind her, but it looked like she was wiping her tears away. Why she wouldn't just turn around and talk to him, he didn't know. Despite his concern, her behavior was beginning to annoy him.

"Why won't you just tell me what's wrong?" At that, she spun around and answered him in a tone of voice and manner of speaking he'd never heard her use before.

"What's wrong is that I have a dummy in my room that won't stop asking stupid questions.

"Hey" He yelled, taken aback by her sudden change in attitude. "I was just worried about..."

Azula cut him off. "About what? Are you worried because your little sister is already a better firebender than you?" she paused dramatically, as though some kind of epiphany had just occurred to her, "...or did you lose some of your dollies? Oh, I know, maybe you're worried because Dad thinks you're not worth his time, so he chose to train me instead!"

"Shut up!" Zuko yelled as his anger took hold of him. He couldn't understand why she was suddenly being this cruel, but whatever the reason, her words struck him hard.

"I hate you!" he screamed back before turning and running out of her room.

* * * * * *

As the morning light began to fill his room, so Zuko's thoughts returned to the present.

That was the day it all changed. They'd been growing more distant over the past year. They played less, they spoke less, she kept to herself more. But that day was the day their relationship truly changed. They began playing again, but now, it was always a competition. They spoke again, but only so she could deride and insult him.

Only now did he finally realize who it was she reminded him of on that day, when she spoke to him like that for the first time. The voice inflections, the condescending tone, her childish (but successful) attempts at manipulating him. She was imitating their father.

He remembered what the hospitals administrator had told him days ago.

_The answers you want are sitting in a prison cell back at the capitol._

He slowly shifted himself out from under Mai, taking care not to wake her, which wasn't terribly difficult, though not so much due to Zuko's stealth as it was Mai's sleeping habits. She may have fought like a trained assassin, but she sure didn't sleep like one. The entire palace could be on fire and she probably wouldn't wake up until the bed itself was burning (if even then).

Being quiet as possible, he moved to the dresser, and, after throwing on a pair of pants, shoes and a hooded cloak, he slowly opened the door and slipped out into the hall.

He'd meant to question his father earlier, but a confrontation with Mai and his subsequent daily duties as Fire Lord had kept him away for the last few days. But now, with the night's musings and memories still fresh in his mind. He simply couldn't wait any longer.

The prison tower that held his father wasn't far. He made his way out the rear entrance of the palace and up a long a winding path that led up the cliffside of the extinct volcano that housed the palace. Once he crested the top, he saw his objective. The tower stood at the and of a long and winding path. Zuko broke into a slow jog as he made his way toward it.

"Stop where you are!" one of the guards yelled out while readying his spear as Zuko drew near. When Zuko drew back his cloak, the guard nearly dropped his weapon in shock.

"Fire Lord. I'm... Sorry. I... I... didn't know," the guard tried stammering out an apology as Zuko drew closer. Zuko, for the most part, paid him little attention. His mind now fully focused on the man sitting in one of the cells in the building just before him.

Before entering the prison, he turned to the same guard that had tried to stop him and stuck out his hand.

"Keys"

"What sir, I don't..."

"Give me your keys," Zuko demanded. Without another word the guard dropped his key ring in the Fire Lord's outstretched hand. Zuko fumbled through the ring until he found the key marked with his father's cell number. After removing it, he threw the ring back to the guard.

"Don't send anyone up until I come back down, is that understood?"

The guard quickly nodded.

Zuko made his way down the dank and musty halls and up the long winding staircases until he found himself in front of the cell that matched the number on the key. The outer door was barred from the outside, but not locked. Zuko lifted it away and threw it to the ground were it landed with a heavy thud. If his father hadn't been awakened by the footsteps nearing his cell, Zuko was sure he was certainly awake now.

The heavy wooden door creaked open on an old set of large rusted iron hinges. There was muffled clank as the iron bolts that held the door together hit the stone wall it opened towards. Zuko stepped in.

Ozai sat in the corner of his cell. As his eyes turned towards his guest, he looked neither angry nor surprised to see him. His reaction could have almost been mistaken for complete indifference had it not been for an unmistakable hint of annoyance.

"And to what do I owe such a glorious honor so early in the morning?"

"I'm here to ask you some questions, and this time you're going to answer them."

"Oh, I am, am I? And if I don't, what are you going to do? What could you possibly threaten me with? If you want my life I would gladly give it rather than live like this!"

"Then perhaps you could regain at least a bit of your honor by..."

Zuko was cut short as Ozai broke into laughter.

"So, you came here to make jokes. How very thoughtful of you."

Zuko should have known it was useless to bring up such a thing as honor to his father. So he dropped the issue.

"Azula's escaped the hospital I put her in. There's something wrong with her and she could be getting worse."

Ozai's head was still turned toward the ground after his fit of laughter. He didn't respond at first, instead letting the silence hang in the air for a moment. He turned his head up to look at Zuko.

"And..."

"Don't you even care!"

"Why should I? What use is she to me now? Is this really all you've come here to bother me about?"

Even though Zuko had expected a response such as this, to actually hear it spoken, to hear the complete lack of care or concern in Ozai's voice, brought forth such an unrelenting surge of anger, regret, and sorrow, that any and all promises Zuko had been making to himself about not letting his emotions get the best of him went up in smoke as he felt his blood begin to boil.

Zuko's eyes narrowed as he starred into the uncaring face of the man he called his father. Years... he'd spent years trying to impress this man. Struggling to gain even a fraction of the love and acceptance his sister seemed to have. All those years spent envying her for what he thought she had, when in reality it truly seemed he cared no more for her than he had Zuko.

He pulled the cell key out of the pocket of his cloak. He looked at it, turning it over in his fingers a few times before flicking into his father's cell where it came to rest at his feet after 'plinking' across the ground.

Ozai eyed the key, but didn't yet make a move. With his head turned down, Zuko couldn't see his lips curling into a crooked smile. "And what am I supposed to make of this?"

Zuko pulled his cloak off, throwing it into the corner of the outer cell were it landed in a heap. "That will unlock your shackles and the cell door. And to make this fair, I won't use firebending."

Ozai let out a nearly silent laugh as he leaned forward and picked up the key. Getting the response he wanted out of Zuko was almost too easy.

Ozai rubbed his sore wrists as the heavy shackles fell to the ground with a single solid 'clunk'. He looked up to meet his son's gaze. As Ozai took his first step toward the last barrier separating them, Zuko continued.

"You gave me this scar because I wouldn't face you in our Agni Kai," he said, lifting his hand to the left side of his face, "I think it's time you and I finished that fight!"

* * *

*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*

* * *

**Author's note: Open Office is retarded. At one point, I spelled "didn't" as "didn;t". So, as writing programs are wont to do, it underlined it in red so that I could simply right click on it and make a fast correction by clicking the "didn't" from it's "hey-dumb-ass-did-you-mean-this" list. Except "didn't" wasn't on there despite my only having missed it's proper spelling through nothing more than a slight slip in punctuation. Now, this normally wouldn't be something worthy of writing and entire paragraph for as an addendum to the end of a chapter, but for **** sake "Dildo" was on the list! Yes, "dildo" was on the list of corrections for "didn;t", but "didn't" wasn't.**

**I'm not entirely sure what this means, or what this says about the people that work on the "Open office" program, but all I know is that as soon as this chapter get's posted, I'm finding a new writing program that gives me more "didn't-s" and less "dildos".**


	21. Chapter 20: From the Ashes

**Chapter 20**

From the Ashes

Ozai stood up, threw off his tattered prison robes and stood in his cell facing Zuko, wearing only a pair of plain brown pants held up by a single cord of rope. Even without his bending, his father was an imposing figure. Though the surroundings were different and their positions now reversed, this is how it had been on that fateful day: the two of them, facing off one on one. No weapons, no armor, not even shoes or shirts. This was what an Agni Kai was all about. No matter the combatants, regardless of position, whether it be peasant or Fire Lord, once in the arena they were considered equal, only their skill would tell them apart.

As Ozai took his first step forward, a sliver of doubt pierced the back of Zuko's mind. Was this really such a good idea? Of course it wasn't, Zuko already knew that. His father may not have his bending, but he was still a powerful fighter. He also knew that, if the opportunity presented itself, Ozai wouldn't hesitate to kill him. No, there was nothing smart or logical about this. It was just something that, in his heart, he knew he had to do. Not for Azula, or his mother...

The click of a lock brought Zuko's attention back to his father, now standing at the cell door. Zuko drew himself into a fighting stance, awaiting Ozai's opening attack.

"Well, if a fight is what the Fire Lord requests..." Ozai began as he eyed Zuko with his penetrating gaze, "...then I'll be happy to _serve!"_

He kicked the cell door open, the iron bars swinging within inches of Zuko's foot. Ozai leapt foreword, hoping to take advantage of the distraction and get the first blow in. But Zuko didn't so much as flinch. He knew his father better than to expect him to fight fair and had been expecting such tactics. Zuko sidestepped the punch aimed at his head and brought his knee into Ozai's midsection. He hit solidly, pushing father back a few inches across the ground as the air escaped his lungs. Ozai took the attack and wrapped his arms around Zuko's leg before he could pull back. Even with the wind knocked out of him, Ozai managed to yank Zuko off the ground, and slam him into the cell bars next to him.

Zuko yelled as his back collided against the wall of steel rods with a loud _'clang'_. His head snapped back, hitting one of bars and he fell to the ground, not sure if the ringing in his ears was from the bars or was in his own head.

Ozai fell to one knee just long enough to recover his breath and steady himself. He shifted his eyes to Zuko, who was lying on the ground in a fetal position, clenching the back of his head with his hands. Every bar of the cell vibrated and rattled behind him. A ghostly layer of dust, shaken free from the impact, hung in the air around each bar for a brief moment before disappearing like wisps of smoke. Ozai stood up, smiled, and walked towards Zuko.

Fighting against the pain, Zuko forced his eyes open. He was facing the cell but could hear the footsteps moving closer.

_Get up!_

He grabbed the bars and started to pull himself off the ground. He was almost to his feet when a sharp pain exploded in his right side. His grip faltered as Ozai drove a fist into his side once again. A third and equally viscous kidney punch flattened Zuko against the bars as he tried to pull himself up. Zuko screamed and spun around, catching Ozai across the jaw with his elbow. As his father recoiled, Zuko pushed himself off the bars and planted a solid kick in Ozai's gut.

Ozai fell a few steps back and spit a gob of blood to the ground. "Is this really the best you've got?" Ozai smirked as wiped the blood from his mouth. "Go ahead, use your bending you little coward! For all your talk of honor, we both know you're only brave enough to face me when you're holding an advantage. Just like during the eclipse... and just like with Azula!"

Zuko flinched, much to Ozai's enjoyment. "Oh, you didn't think I knew that did you? If you don't recall, the fire sages... _my_ fire sages, were there to witness the fight."

Ozai's smile widened as he took pleasure in the anger growing on Zuko's face. With the blood already running out of his mouth, it made him look particularly manic. "I know that you only challenged Azula because she was already falling apart." Ozai shook his head, 'tsk'-ing Zuko in mock disapproval, "Such a terrible thing to do to your own little sister. Though I guess there really was no other way for you to beat her."

If Ozai had said that to infuriate Zuko, it worked, but not in the way he had intended. Instead of lashing out and attacking his father, Zuko took a deep breath and gathered himself. His emotions were raw and seething, but he didn't act on them. Instead, he used them to focus himself. There was so much more to this fight than his father could possibly understand, and to hear Ozai use his own daughter's condition as a way to mock and goad Zuko only added to his resolve.

"It sickens me to think how much time I wasted trying to please you. All that time I spent jealous of Azula because I thought she had what I wanted: your respect, your love. But you never cared about either of us, or your own wife. The only thing you've ever cared about is power."

They circled each other as they spoke. When it became obvious that Zuko wasn't going to take the bait, Ozai switched tactics and stopped moving just in front of a wooden water bucket sitting next to the wall.

Ozai smiled at Zuko again. "Something you don't know the first thing about. Well, _Firelord," _he sneered, "allow me to give you one final _l__esson!_"

He hooked his foot into the buckets handle and kicked it at Zuko. Zuko tried blocking it, but the wooden bucket shattered against his forearms. The water exploded around him, drenching his head and upper body, and blinding him just long enough for Ozai to take full advantage of the situation.

The former Fire Lord ran at his son, slammed his shoulder into Zuko's sternum, lifting him off his feet and smashing him full force into the wall behind him.

Flashes of white light filled Zuko's vision as the air was forced from his lungs. The entire room shifted and spun sideways as the white specks darted out of his field of view like busy insects, leaving darkness in their wake.

When he opened his eyes only a moment later, he was lying on the ground, unable to breathe. It felt like there was something heavy on his chest and his throat burned. It took another split second to come fully to his senses. That's when he realized Ozai was kneeling on his chest, strangling him.

Zuko tried to pull his arms off the ground and fight back, but they were pinned to his sides under Ozai's knees. Now, even if he wanted to bend, he couldn't. Firebending started with the breath. If he couldn't breathe, he couldn't bend. His father knew this, which was why he was smiling.

Ozai continued talking as though there'd never been a break in their conversation. "You see, the tricky thing about power isn't acquiring it, it's keeping it!"

Zuko struggled to pull his arms free but couldn't. His effort seemed to only bring more horrific glee into Ozai's face. He pulled Zuko's head up from the ground. "You honestly think I favored Azula because she was stronger than _you_?" He spat out a laugh as his hands curled even tighter around his son's neck and lifted his head off the ground and pulled his face closer to his.

"I chose Azula because I knew that she would one day be stronger than me!"

Zuko tried to swallow, but his throat burned as he tried. His chest heaved and convulsed, begging for air. He tried yanking his arms free once again, but his struggles only weakened him faster.

Ozai pulled his face away as his expression turned from amusement to disgust. "What a terrible irony that I never considered you enough of a threat to even bother with." He shook his head as that cruel smiled returned, "Though, it seems you've allowed me the opportunity to correct that mistake."

Zuko's vision blurred and little specks of light once again danced across his eyes. Just as the world began to be swallowed in darkness, the hands around his neck suddenly lost their grip.

Ozai roared in pain and fell off Zuko. Zuko gasped for air, and scrambled to his feet as he tried to figure out was going on.

Ozai twisted and writhed on the ground, spattering blood all over the place. Blood trailed down his left arm, but Zuko still didn't see the wound. It was only when Ozai came to a rest on one knee with his back to Zuko that he saw what had happened.

The handle of a throwing knife was sticking out of the back of Ozai's left shoulder.

Zuko turned away from his father to see Mai standing in the open doorway, her hand outstretched. At first, Zuko couldn't tell if the look on her face was anger or fear, but once her attention was off Ozai and she locked eyes with him, any hint of fear quickly vanished. She straightened herself up, pulled the sleeve of her right arm down.

She didn't say anything. She didn't need to. It was more than obvious to Zuko that she was furious. With a shake of her head, she turned and walked out the door.

Zuko headed toward her but the sound of Ozai's breathless laughter stopped him.

"You're a weakling and a coward," he said with smug satisfaction, "Without your woman," he nodded towards the door, "this fight was mine... You lost."

Zuko looked at him. "Good, then I'm done with you."

The smile faded from Ozai's face, "And what do you mean by that?"

"As I told you when we started, I still owed you a fight. Now that I've given you one, I owe you nothing. Once I leave here today, I have no reason to ever see you again. As far as I'm concerned, my father is dead."

Zuko grabbed his cloak and shoes from the ground while still facing Ozai. He was silent as the implications sank in.

Zuko turned to leave. He took only one step when his father yelled behind him, "Don't you dare turn your back on me! What about your mother? I know where she is. You'll never find her without me!"

As Ozai dangled that one last morsel in front of Zuko, the last vestige of power he held over his son, there was something different about his voice. The confidence was gone. That cool, cruel assurance and presumption that he'd always spoke with had been replaced by something else.

Desperation.

Zuko stopped, but didn't turn around.

"I'm the Fire Lord! If my mother is alive, I'll find her, and I'll do it without your help." _As for Azula,_ Zuko thought,_ I think I've just learned everything I need to know._

Zuko paused for one last moment. He drew in a deep breath, then spoke once again over his shoulder for the very last time to the man he'd once called father, "I'll send guards to tend your wound. Goodbye, Prisoner."

Zuko walked through the threshold as Ozai screamed behind him, "Who do you think you are? Don't walk away from me!" Zuko slammed the heavy wooden door shut behind him. All the while, listening to his father's last, desperate attempts to get his attention.

"I have the information you need, do you hear me!? I know where she is..."

He replaced the thick wood timber across the door, barring it shut. Something smashed against the other side of the door as his father continued to rage.

"You really think she's still alive... I was lying to you... Get back in here you coward. Do you hear me..."

Zuko turned to see Mai walking quickly down the hall. He ran after her, all the while, his father's voice ringing out behind him, growing more frantic by the second. "You can't do this to me! Get back here!" The last thing he heard as he chased Mai down one of the large spiral staircases was his father howling in anger. It would be the very last time he'd hear his father's voice.

He caught up to her halfway down the hallway of the floor below his father's cell. He reached out a hand and grabbed her shoulder, "Mai, wait."

The moment he touched her, she spun around and slapped him. For a moment, the only sound filling the hall was the quickly fading echo of her slap. Zuko paused for a moment, his face tilted and turned away from hers, both waiting for the sting to fade while half expecting another. When it didn't come, he turned to face her. When their eyes met, any apology or explanation he'd been prepared to give seemed paltry and insignificant. While he could deal with her anger, he wasn't prepared to see her crying.

Her stare was unwavering even as the tears streamed down her face. She wasn't just angry, it was worse than that. She was hurt.

"So, we're back to this again!" she yelled at him, "Running off and leaving me in the dark. You almost got yourself killed this time. What if I had woken up a minute later, huh!? What if I didn't figure out where you'd gone?" Her voice cracked slightly as more tears gathered at the corners of her eyes and ran down her face, dripping off her chin and creating small dark spots on the front of her dark red and black robes. "How would I live with that, finding out you'd died only because you were unwilling to share what's going on in your head?" She stopped and swallowed back a lump in her throat, "Damn it Zuko, I love you, but if you keep..."

Before she could say another word, Zuko pressed his lips against hers and wrapped his arms around her. She tried to push away from him, but Zuko held her firmly. He wasn't doing it to calm her or dominate the situation. Right now, he just _needed_ to hold her. Right now, he finally realized how incredibly stupid he'd been.

He thought he'd been protecting her. After all, being Fire lord was _his_ job, _his_ responsibility, _his_ burden. Mai shouldn't have to worry about that. That was for him to deal with. Just as he had his whole life, it was something he'd do on his own.

Mai stopped trying to push away from him and accepted the embrace. Her lips began to move with his and, with a passion fueled by thoughts of almost losing him, she moved her arms up around the back of his neck and pulled him in and kissed him even harder.

Protecting her? What a joke. He couldn't have been hurting her more if he'd tried, and he never wanted to see that kind of pain on her face again.

He relaxed his grip on her and moved his hands down to her waist. Mai's arms loosened around his neck as she shifted her hands to the sides of his face. A moment later, her hands fell from his face and traced down his arms as their lips parted.

They looked at each other for a few seconds without saying anything. Mai wasn't even sure what she wanted to say anymore. She was still mad, or at least thought she should be, but at present the words to express it simply didn't want to form.

Zuko, on the other hand, looking deep into her gorgeous golden eyes, knew exactly what he wanted to say.

"Marry me."

Mai's eyes fluttered. Her breath caught, and her mouth fell open as she made a few sounds that didn't quite qualify as words. In any other circumstance, Zuko may have found her confounded expression and inability to speak amusing, but right now all he was wanted was to hear one word.

It took Mai a moment to gather herself (and another few to realize her mouth was still hanging open.)She blinked a few times, and turned away, looking down at the ground and taking the moment to wipe her eyes and collect herself. She took a deep breath and tried to calm her heartbeat. After another breath, she lifted her head back up and looked into his eyes.

"On one condition," Mai said, suddenly stern and poking a finger in his chest.

"Uh... ok," Zuko said, disarmed by her response.

"Whatever it is you're planning, I'm coming with you! Go it!? ...and that goes for everything. No more of this angsty lone hero stuff!"

"I promise."

Mai sighed, doing her best to keep herself calm and level. She ran her hand through his hair, smiled and looked him in the eyes once more before backing away.

Then, with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders, "Fine, then I guess I can marry you."

Zuko went to kiss her again, but she put a finger up to his lips and made an obvious point of glaring back and forth at their surroundings. "Though, you really could have chosen a more suitable location for a proposal."

Zuko blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. He'd been so caught up in the moment, he'd actually forgotten they were in a dungeon, "Oh, uh yeah..."

Mai smiled. "Well, I guess this is at least memorable, and really, this kinds of suits you." She grabbed his arm and leaned against him as they started walking again.

"Hey..." Zuko turned to look at her, "...what's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh please, you're not exactly what I'd call romantic."

Zuko opened his mouth, but, in realizing he had just proposed to her in the middle of a prison, quickly shut it and decided to say nothing.

Mai just smiled and hugged his arm a bit tighter. "Eh, it'd be kinda boring if you were. This way, I'm always trying to guess what stupid thing you'll say or do next."

Zuko laughed and took her words as a complement.

"Speaking of which," she continued, "what's the plan for Azula?"

Zuko slowed his pace before reaching the prison's exit. He'd yet to come up with any solid plan in regards to his sister. Not that he hadn't already taken action - the military was on high alert, but she'd already fled the country, so that did little good. He couldn't order wanted posters posted in the Earth Kingdom until he received word back from the bureaucrats in Ba Sing Se. Although, he had found a way around that particular problem by having his soldiers hand out wanted posters to any and all visiting Earth Kingdom citizens, merchants, and fishermen visiting the Fire Nation. After all, he could hardly be held responsible for what tourists brought back as souvenirs. As another precaution, he'd sent word via to Captain Makato instructing him to head towards Ba Sing Se to keep his Uncle safe. Just in case.

Though, all that hardly seemed worth the effort. In his gut, he knew that Azula was waiting for him, personally. And, if that were the case, she wasn't going to be found until she wanted to be. But how was he supposed to go after her, in the Earth Kingdom of all places? If he had to travel by boat, then track her across the land, that could take weeks even if she was just waiting for him (and he seriously doubted she was going to make it that easy.) The airships seemed the only way to go, but the treaty specifically forbade both war balloons and the larger airships.

Zuko came to a stop. That was it, the treaty. It banned those airships _specifically._

Mai looked up at him, and recognizing that look on his face, spoke up, "Fantastic, what genius idea just popped in your head?"

Zuko looked at her and grabbed her hand. "Come with me. I'll show you." He practically ran out of the prison, stopping only to tell the guards to tend to his father (also making sure to warn them that he wasn't chained and most likely very angry.)

Twenty minutes later they were back at the palace and getting into a palanquin. From there, they were quickly shuttled to the airship hangers, where Zuko's unannounced arrival caused a bit of a stir. Guards greeted him nervously, while behind them, workers scrambled to clean up the place for what they thought must be some sort of official inspection.

Zuko waved the guards out of the way and headed into the hanger.

"Alright, what's goin' on here. Who's interrupting my..." said a stout man wearing glasses with a thick black beard, pushing through workers to see what all the commotion was about. When he saw Zuko, he straightened up and eyed him suspiciously. His thick, grease stained leather gloves creaked as he balled his fists and crossed his large, well muscled arms.

"Say, ain't you the new Fire Lord?" the man said when he finally recognized who was standing in front of him.

Zuko was so taken aback by the man's casual reaction, he barely stammered out a response, "Uh, yeah, I am."

"Ah well, don't know whatcha want here, but go ahead and make yourself at home. Though I suppose this is your home... well, not your home exactly, but you do own it an all. Anyway, there's not much goin' on here, what with the war over an all, but that doesn't mean I ain't got stuff to do. If ya need someone to show ya around just ask one of my men... Oh yeah, suppose I should introduce myself," he paused, finally stopping to take a breath in between words. He took a step towards Zuko and stuck out his hand, then pulled it back to pull off his glove. "Sorry about that, suppose I should show some manners around royalty."

He tucked his glove under an armpit and stuck out his bare hand for Zuko to shake. "Name's Jian, Jian Guo. I'm the head mechanic around here, 'course I'm pretty much just a glorified janitor now. What with there bein' no airships an all."

Zuko looked at Jian's hand for a second. It was actually dirtier than the glove that had been covering it, but Zuko shook it anyway. It was actually a nice change of pace, not having people cow-tow or cower when he came walking by. Until just now, he actually didn't realize how much he liked being treated like a normal person again.

Jian pulled his hand back and stuck his glove back on. "Well, it's nice to finally meetcha, I mean, despite you kinda puttin' me outa' a job an all."

"I'm actually here for a reason," Zuko cut in before the engineer could start rambling again. "There was an airship I was looking for, different from the other models. Do you know which one I'm talking about?" Zuko remembered seeing it on the day of black sun. When he'd come here to steal a balloon and fly after the Avatar. Had it not been for the ships unique design, he probably wouldn't have remembered it at all.

The lead engineer looked slightly confused at first. Then he turned and pointed to the back of the hanger. "The only other ship we ever tried to make was that scout ship," Jian said, pointing his thumb over his shoulder. "Never even got to finish one of em' before yer father put a stop to it. He wanted us workin' on the bigger, more powerful ships."

Zuko didn't see it at first. All the old man seemed to be pointing to was a bunch of boards lying against some large brown tarps, covering... something. It was only after looking at it for a second that he realized the brown tarps were the twin air bladders he's seen on the ship. They were just deflated now and covering the rest of it.

"Course, that was after yer sister already took care a' Ba Sing Se. Guess that's parta' the reason he scrapped it. No real sense in spyin' on an enemy you've already beaten."

"Can it fly?" Zuko asked.

The Engineer seemed to brighten up at this prospect. "Really, you want me ta finish it? Hmm, always wanted to see this thing get off the ground. Way it's designed and all, I figure it could keep up with an air bison if it needed too." Jian looked toward the ship and stroked his beard, smearing grease from his glove onto it as he contemplated Zuko's request. "Well, it's pretty close to finished as is. If I took some men off of a few of the other projects... I could probably have it ready to go within a week or so."

Zuko looked from the ship then back to Jian. "No, I want you to gather every man you can spare. Have it ready to fly by this time tomorrow."

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**Author's note:**

**Jian Guo literally means "Builder of the Country"**

**Let me also add a brief explanation of this chapters title. I was having a hell of a time trying to think of something to name this. I wanted it to be something that somehow conveyed Zuko cutting off one relationship (with Ozai) and starting a new one (his proposal to Mai). I finally settled on "From the ashes".**

**Given that a new stage in Zuko's life was spurned on by cutting ties with some that one called themselves "the Phoenix King"... get it (ok, so it may not be terribly clever, but it was the best I could come up with. So there!)**

**There can also be a slight double meaning, since Zuko resurrected the scout ship that his father ordered scrapped, but that's not nearly as dramatic as the whole marriage thing.**


	22. Chapter 21: The Other

**Chapter 21**

The Other

A blast of blue fire hit him directly in the chest. And while the fire itself couldn't hurt him, the force of it did throw him off balance. Before he could catch his balance, another blast hit him in the shoulder, then another in the leg. He spun like a top on one foot, trying desperately to prevent himself from tumbling over, but a final blast exploded across his back and sent him sprawling to the ground face first.

He sighed, spit out the grass in his mouth and lifted himself up.

Azula sure wasn't holding back.

He brushed the grass and dirt off his bare chest (also wiping some off his face), then checked his pants. They were still damp but smoldering.

As soon as he turned around, and before he could say anything, he was attacked again. Not just a few bursts, but an onslaught. The fire washed over him, engulfing him. He yelled through the fire, but she barely heard him through the roaring of her flames.

The fire stopped and he stumbled forward as the force he was pushing against disappeared.

"Now what!?" she demanded.

"My pants are drying out."

"Then stop getting hit so easily. So far, this morning you've been completely unable, or unwilling, to avoid even my most rudimentary attacks. I'm beginning to think you're doing this on purpose. I find it hard to believe that someone could survive on their own while being this inept at even basic combat!"

Yu was too busy brushing dirt out of his hair (and various other places dirt shouldn't be) to respond.

"Well what are you waiting for, go jump in the river so we can get on with this."

"You know, if it's bothering you that much, I could always just..."

"NO! Absolutely not! And if you bring it up one more time..." The murderous glint in Azula's eyes was so plain that she didn't even need to finish her threat. "You will leave your pants on and that's final."

Yu shrugged his shoulders and turned to walk away. As she watched him go, she couldn't help but wonder if he was making that suggestion just to annoy her, or if he really was just that crude and simple.

Yu turned from her just in time to hide his smile. He'd made the suggestion specifically to annoy her.

He'd only suggested it as an off-hand joke when they started "training" earlier. Her reaction had been priceless. She just stared at him for a few seconds, eyes wide with a mixture of anger and disbelief. She also seemed a bit flustered, and he could have sworn her cheeks took on an almost unnoticeable pinker hue. It had taken just about every ounce of his willpower not to burst out laughing (something he figured might prove fatal under the circumstances).

He couldn't believe that, what with everything else they'd been through, such a stupid little joke could actually get under her skin like that. Maybe it had something to do with being a Princess. He supposed crude jokes probably weren't regularly exchanged amongst the royal court.

...being a princess...

It brought up so many questions. What was a princess doing, shackled hands and feet, in a mental hospital anyway? Not that he was going to ask her outright. Not unless a boot print on his face was the answer he was looking for. So, as curious as he was, he thought it best to leave those questions alone for the time being.

He made it to the river and waded in. It was cold, but it felt good. He dunked his head under, hoping the cold water might help soothe the headache he'd started to develop halfway through Azula's training. A headache that, strangely enough, seemed to get worse with each blast of fire he received.

Azula sat and waited for the idiot to return. This "training" wasn't going as well as she hoped.

It had seemed like a good idea this morning. She needed practice, and he couldn't be hurt by fire. The prospect was actually a bit exciting. She'd never had a training partner she didn't have to hold back on. Even as royalty, there were certain rules of etiquette one had to observe. Not burning your firebending instructors alive was one of them.

Problem was, his lack of any real fighting skill made him more of a training dummy than a partner. His inability to (as of yet) dodge a single attack had caused the novelty to wear off rather quickly. But she still persisted, because, in the end, this wasn't really about training.

She just needed the release. Her anger, her frustration, her exhaustion felt like it was all working in a cycle. A cycle intent on driving her mad. Just thinking about it was making her angry. And given her lack of sleep, she didn't have the energy to combat her disobedient emotions... It was all very frustrating.

She also hoped the activity might keep certain... _things_, at bay.

Azula looked out of the corner of her eye to see if _it_ was still there.

She was. The little girl from the inn, and from the cave last night, just sat on a log and swung her feet. She'd been watching them all morning, this young version of herself. She hadn't said anything, hadn't done anything. No pleas regarding Zuko, no mention of their mother. She just sat there, watching.

Azula closed her eyes. She was just trying to ignore it, hoping it might go away if she just refused to interact with it.

She wasn't real of course; she couldn't be. What it was, how it was, Azula still hadn't figured out. Did the spirits themselves have it in for her? Perhaps this was something else the Avatar was capable of. After all, he'd taken away her father's bending, she wouldn't put it past Zuko to have had him do something equally horrifying to her after he'd imprisoned her in that _place!_

That might help explain these unusual feelings she had whenever the apparitions seemed to appear. Especially the sheer terror and panic this particular visage seemed to bring over her (why should she be afraid of a child?)

It couldn't be her. She wouldn't allow that thought. Not her, she was perfect...

"Perfect? Oh please, we both know that's not true." The voice wasn't the little girl's, or her mother's, but her own. Azula own voice, arrogant, proud and mocking, filled her ears from in front of her.

Her eyes snapped open.

The little girl was still there, but so was... another her. Leaning with her back against a tree, casually checking the nails on her right hand, this Azula's hair wasn't cut and disheveled like it was now. Her face wasn't dirty from sleeping outside, her makeup and skin was perfect. This was Azula as she had been months ago, before everything went wrong. She was even wearing Azula's armor, resplendent in its black and gold trim.

For a moment, Azula couldn't help but envy her, even if it wasn't real.

This other Azula looked away from her nails and gave Azula a slight and crooked smile. "After all, if you really were as 'perfect' as you claim to be, you wouldn't need my help, now would you?"

"I don't need 'help' from some figment," Azula responded sharply, betraying her own decision not interact with these... whatever they were.

The other Azula laughed, "I would think the fact that you're bothering to respond at all should prove otherwise. It's alright you can trust me. Why would I lie to myself?"

Azula said nothing. She wasn't going to let this figment get the best of her, not this time.

"You really shouldn't be so worried. When I say I'm here to help, I'm telling you the..." The other Azula stopped and looked over at the little girl who still sat swinging her legs on the log. "Give me a moment, will you?"

She watched as her doppelganger walked over to the child and, without a word, lit her on fire. Azula recoiled as she watched her younger self ignite and burn away like a piece of paper. The little girl didn't struggle of scream. She hardly even seemed to notice. She just sat there, looking at Azula as she smoldered and crumbled away, flaking into bits of ash and blowing away in the wind.

"That's better," the Other said as she watched the last few bits of ash float away. "Never cared much for her anyway. Now, what was it we were talking about again?"

"I already told you," Azula spoke up, recovering from the bizarre vision she'd just witnessed, "I don't need your help!"

"Really? So then, how's the plan for Zuko coming along?" the Other asked.

Azula just looked away. _It's not real... Whatever it is, don't let it get to you, don't let it control you._

She felt the other Azula's presence move closer in behind her. "If we're going to set this right, if we're going to kill Zuko, then we need a plan. A real plan."

"I have a plan!" Azula said defiantly, turning around to face herself.

"You're 'plan' seems to consist of you wandering about the woods and hoping Zuko stumbles across you while miraculously getting himself killed in the process," the Other said with a roll of her eyes. "Am I missing something, or is that about the extent of it? Absolutely brilliant. And you're supposed to be a prodigy?"

"Then what do you suggest? Oh wait, let me guess, you're here to beg for little Zuzu's life, just like the others" Azula challenged.

The Other spat out a laugh. "Hardly. I want Zuko dead just as much as you. Tell you what, I'll give you my advice, be on my way, then you can mull it over in that pretty little head of ours all you want."

Azula sat quietly for a moment, trying to surmise what game this new phantom was trying to play with her. "I'll listen if it means being rid of you faster."

"The first thing you can do is be a little nicer to the peasant." The Other said.

Azula laughed. Now she knew this was a ruse. "And why should I do that?"

"Because he's part of the plan, and if you can't control yourself, if you keep losing your temper, he may leave. Then we're back at step one," the other Azula said as though it should have been plainly obvious.

Azula stopped laughing. As much as she didn't wish to admit it, this phantom (or whatever it was) was right. Reluctantly, she decided to listen.

Her Other continued, "You've already come a bit too close to messing this up once. As luck would have it, he seems to have some sort of attraction to us, not that I can blame him..." the Other eyed Azula over, "though, we have looked better."

Azula couldn't help but run her hand through her long messy hair. From behind her, she could hear the cracking of branches and rustling of leaves.

"Looks like your pet's back," the other Azula nodded her head toward the clearing behind Azula. She turned to see Yu fighting his way through the trees and underbrush that separated this clearing from the river.

"Just remember what father taught us, and stop letting your emotions get the better of you," the Other said. When Azula turned around, she was gone.

"Ok, I'm back!" he yelled over to her, "I wet my pants so we can..." He stopped himself mid-sentence and shook his head. "Uh... Can we forget that I just said that?"

Azula sighed. The other Azula made it sound as though keeping her temper around this imbecile was a simple task.

Azula ignored Yu and walked over to her pack. She threw it over her shoulder and started heading back out across the clearing and towards the woods.

"Wait... we're leaving? But I'm soaking wet!"

"Then maybe you shouldn't have jumped in the river."

"But... but..."

"I'm done training for today, and I call it that with only a great deal of leniency. Hurry up and grab your things. We need to keep moving," Azula said over her shoulder as she walked away.

Yu starred at her for a second than ran back to grab the rest of his clothes and stuffed them in his pack. He ran his hands down his pant legs, trying to squeeze out as much water as he could, before throwing on his shoes and tossing his pack over his shoulder. He ran up behind Azula, his pants making a wet slapping sound as he ran and still dripping water despite his previous efforts to ring them out.

"I never light on fire when I want too," He lamented, looking down at his pants.

"You want to light on fire in the middle of a forest?"

"Oh yeah, good point. Well then, could you at least dry me off? You know, just a little fire blast?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not some servant."

"Ok, then how about just as a favor"

"I would think someone as indebted as you wouldn't be so quick to dig themselves further."

"Indebted?" Yu stopped walking. "I'm the only reason you escaped in the first place!"

Azula stopped and turned to face him. "You just knocked down a wall. I'm the one who actually got us out of there. If it wasn't for me, you'd be in chains right now."

"Well, what about back in town? Don't forgetting that I came back to try and help you!"

"So you want gratitude because you failed to 'save' me from the guards that you yourself alerted? Need I also remind you that that was second such incident in which you've almost gotten us captured?"

Yu paused as he tried to think of something he could throw back at her. "Hey... you beat me up!"

"Fine fine. Then I'll forgive you one of the times you almost got us captured. Though, if were working the trade that way, I guess that means I still owe you a beating... or you could just stop complaining about your pants and we'll call it even. You're choice."

Yu grumbled and tried to stammer out a few more arguments but wasn't able to spit out more than a few words before he decided it was a better idea to just keep his mouth shut. He obviously wasn't going to win any ground. The way she was able to twist everything into her favor was impressive as it was annoying.

"So, where are we going, anyway?" He asked after a few minutes of silence.

Where indeed? As they moved through the woods, Azula mulled over the advice she'd given herself. She needed to be smart about this. There was too much at stake to let her own feelings get the best of her. Emotions were a tool, nothing more. Just as her father had taught her.

It was time to work a plan, a real plan. She'd be outnumbered, possibly even greatly so depending on the extent of Zuko's cowardice. A surprise attack, an ambush, would be the best option. Luckily, she had Yu. He'd make getting the drop on Zuko much easier.

Which only left the location in question.

She pulled out the map and looked it over as they walked along the road. After finding their current location, she scanned about their general area, hoping something might jump out at her.

Aha. That would do nicely: the Earth Kingdom city of Yenrai.

She remembered reading all about it in the history books she'd been assigned to read when she was younger. It had survived a nearly year-long siege due almost entirely to its geography. Unlike Ba Sing Se, Yenrai didn't need a wall. Except for a narrow plain that stretched out to its North East, Yenrai was almost entirely surrounded by mountains. And when fighting Earthbenders, only a fool would send their troops through mountain passes. But for her purposes, it was the perfect place for an ambush.

She smirked at the irony.

Those very mountains, riddled with treacherous ravines, innumerable caves, and narrow passes that had once been such a bane to the Fire Nation, would now help her reclaim its glory.

She shook her head. _No, it wouldn't be that easy, don't get ahead of yourself. __We have __to get there first__._

Her exhaustion was making it difficult to think clearly. She couldn't make the mistake of getting too proud of a plan this meager. She hadn't even _seen_ the terrain yet, only read about it. There were still too many unknowns to allow herself to feel confident.

At least one part of the plan would be easy. Yu's complete lack of fighting prowess would make silencing him simple.

...so why did that part of the plan suddenly feel...off?

She couldn't put her finger on it, but she didn't dismiss the feeling either. Over the years, she'd come to trust her instincts, and usually, when she had a feeling like this, it meant part of a plan had some flaw, something she'd overlooked.

But why was she getting that feeling now? She thought it over, analyzing it from every angle, but couldn't see any particular problem, logistically or tactically, in eliminating him once Zuko was dealt with. So, why? Why wouldn't that feeling go away?

She put it out of her mind for now. Whatever it was, she would worry about it later. Perhaps she'd be able to think more clearly once she had some sleep.

"Hey, I think I found lunch," she heard from behind her, pulling her out of her thoughts.

She turned around to see him holding an insect winged serpent out at arm's length. Its tail coiled up, Azula could tell it was about to strike.

A blast of fire shot from her hand and engulfed it (and Yu's hand), killing it instantly.

"...or we could just cook it now," Yu said.

Azula shut her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. _He's going to get himself killed before I even have to worry about it_. "Why would you just pick up a viperwasp? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?"

Yu looked from the charred snake to Azula, then back to the snake, then to Azula once more. "I think the fact that I just picked it up would indicate that I don't."

Azula didn't even know what to say, this was worse than dealing with a child (not that she had any experience in dealing with children, but it couldn't be worse than this.)

_Control__...__K__eep yourself under control._

"Besides," he said, wiggling and shaking the dead viperwasp as it hung from his hand, "I think you tamed it."

Azula crossed her arms and shook her head. "I honestly marvel at the fact that you're still alive."

She walked over and grabbed his hand. "If it had stung you," she said, squeezing the base of its tail between her fingers and thumb. The tail split open as a short, but very sharp looking, stinger pushed out the end, "you'd be paralyzed and unconscious for hours. And that's if you're lucky."

She wrapped two fingers around the base of the stinger, and with a sickening _'thock' _yanked it, along with the still attached venom gland, out of the viperwasps tail. It only took a few drops to do what she'd just described, any more than that, and it could stop a grown man's heart in minutes.

She rolled it over in her hand, careful to avoid any contact with the stinger, then decided to wrap it and carefully stick it in one of the pouches on the side of her pack. She didn't have any immediate plans for it, but things like this had a way of proving useful.

"Oh, and thanks!" Yu said after they started walking again.

"For what?"

"For saving me."

_Saving you?_ Azula thought with a smirk, _I wouldn't thank me just yet._

_---------------------------_

_--------------------------_

_**Well, this took a bit longer than expected. See, this chapter was originally really long (which is why it took awhile). In fact, it was a bit too long and I didn't feel the two parts flowed together as well as I wanted, so I ended up splitting it into two chapters. The good news is that that means the next chapter is already done. I just need to tweak a few things, proof read it and it should be up in a few days. **  
_


	23. Chapter 22: Perfect

**Chapter 22**

Perfect

The dying fire flickered in front of her eyes. As she stared into it, her eyelids unwillingly slipped shut. Her head rolled forward and she quickly jerked herself awake.

Yu was already asleep in front of his own campfire a few dozen yards away. She looked over at his campfire flickering in the distance. She cursed herself for last night's cowardice, letting him sleep outside the cave, allowing that fear to override her judgment. It was disgusting and weak and she wouldn't... no, couldn't, allow it to happen again.

Her body relaxed and slumped against the base of the tree she was sitting against. Her eyes threatened to slip shut once more, but she cut it off once again. She sat up against the tree and rubbed her eyes. She'd now gone two nights without sleep. She craved it, needed it, but she was also terrified of it. After all, if the things in her dreams were now invading her waking life, then what was waiting for her in her dreams?

Her father would be ashamed of her. He'd taught her to be stronger than this.

_Just remember what father taught us..._

The words of her phantom doppelganger echoed in her ears as her eyes unwillingly slipped shut again once more. She gave one last pitiful attempt to pull herself out of it, but it was useless. Even Azula's will had it limits. Her heartbeat slowed, her body relaxed, and her head lolled to one side. With no more fight left in her, she sunk into a deep sleep.

- - - - - - -

She jerked herself awake and quickly glanced around again, fearful of any impossible apparitions that might be lurking in the flickering shadows of the campfire around her. Seeing nothing, but no longer willing to risk sleep, she stood up and paced about the fire. She glanced over to Yu's campsite, but it was no longer there. The forest itself was different in that direction. It stretched out almost endlessly. In the distance, the trees seemed to intertwine and grow together, becoming one. Though, as Azula walked toward it, compelled to do so for reasons she herself didn't understand, the trees themselves no longer even seemed like trees. In fact, these weren't trees she was now surrounded by, nor was this a forest.

It was a hallway, and not just any hallway, but a hallway in the royal palace. Azula paused for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts, trying to reason why she was even thinking of trees and forests in the first place. She didn't have time for such silly thoughts, especially since she was already late for her appointment with father.

She broke into a run down the hallway, removing thoughts of dark forests from her mind as she went. All that didn't matter right now; her father wanted to see her and he wouldn't stand for her being late. And today's meeting was especially important.

He'd finally taught her firebending. Not that she hadn't been learning already, but this was the first time her father had trained her himself. The moves were difficult, far more advanced than someone of her six years of age would normally be taught, but, as her father often told her, she was special.

She'd been practicing the moves all week. Drilling herself. Practicing morning, noon and night. Trying to get them exactly right. She still had a bit of trouble with a few steps and positions, but given the complexity of the moves, she figured it was good enough, and she couldn't wait to show her father. She knew he'd be proud of her.

Ah, there it was. A tall red door with intricate gold trim sat at the end of the hall. She slowed to a walk as she approached it and took a moment to catch her breath and straighten her clothes. She reached up and adjusted her hairpin, making sure it was holding her hair just right. When she was ready, when everything was perfect, she opened the door and walked inside.

Ozai sat at a desk, reading a scroll. From the color of ribbon hanging off one side, she could tell it was a war report.

"Ah, Azula. Right on time," said Ozai, looking over the scroll. He put it back in its case, sealed it and set it aside on his desk. "Did you read the books I gave you?"

"Yes father," she said as she kneeled and sat down in front of his desk. Though she didn't show it, she could care less about the books he'd assigned her.

All she wanted to do was show him the firebending she'd been practicing. The last thing she wanted to talk about was books, as much as she liked reading them.

Her father started asking her questions, quizzing her about her assignments.

_AHHH! _Azula screamed in her head, realizing she was going to have to answer a bunch of questions about the books on war strategies and historical battles (something she found fascinating despite her six years of age), questions about the philosophies of Sozin and Azulon, and the importance of the Great War.

It lasted nearly an hour and Azula sat through it patiently, hiding her burning desire to do nothing but show off the bending moves she'd spent the entire week tirelessly and enthusiastically practicing.

Then the words she'd been longing to here since she'd arrived finally issued from her father's mouth, "...and now Azula, I wish you to show me the firebending I taught you."

Azula practically jumped up and yelled out, but restrained herself from doing so (she was a princess after all.) She took a deep breath to calm herself and rose from her kneeling position.

She turned her back and walked a few steps from his desk, then turned and bowed before finally showing him what she'd practiced all week.

Azula was beaming as she went through the motions. Most children her age could barely control a flame, much less any actual techniques. Her brother, two years older, was only able to do the most basic forms, and not even very well at that.

She over extended a kick slightly, and took an extra step to catch her balance, but she kept going (it was, after all, a very difficult form for someone her age). Except for one forgotten punch, the rest went smoothly, save for her feet being slightly out of position when she ended. She pulled her feet together, bowed and sat back down. She was breathing heavily (it was a long form) but beaming with pride despite the few slight mistakes.

Ozai looked down at her with a blank expression and said nothing. After a moment he stood up and went to place the scroll back on its shelf behind him, turning his back to Azula. Azula herself was starting to get a sinking feeling in her stomach. After all that practice and her nearly perfect display was her father not...

"Do you enjoy wasting my time, Azula?" Ozai said harshly over his shoulder without turning around.

Azula felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. For a few seconds, she couldn't even breathe. It took her a moment to recover before she could answer.

"I know it wasn't perfect," she began apologetically, "but... but it was almost..."

"_Almost_ is not good enough!" he spat out, turning to face her. "Do you understand how precious my time is Azula? I do not take these appointments lightly. These are not games I'm playing with you. I've chosen to train you because I believed you were special. I believed the time I've sacrificed for you would be appreciated. Perhaps Zuko would... "

"No dad, I..." Azula interrupted. She couldn't let Zuko take her father from her as well. Her eyes started to well up as she did her best to choke back the tears. She took a breath and steadied herself. "I... I'm sorry. I'll try harder. I promise, next time it'll be perfect."

Ozai paused for a moment, as though taking her words into consideration. Azula struggled to hold back the tears that burned behind her eyes. She looked down, not wanting to meet her father's scrutiny. A single warm salty tear fell away from her right eye and made its way down her cheek. She quickly reached up and wiped it away, squeezing her eyes even harder to keep anymore from escaping.

"Are you crying, Azula?" she heard her father ask.

She shook her head, unable to speak for fear that it might betray her emotions.

"Mind my words very carefully, Azula, for this may be one of the most important things I can teach you. Like firebending, emotions are a tool, nothing more. If you ever wish to have true power, you need to be the one in control of them, not the other way around. Only fools let their minds be led by their feelings. It's why your brother clings to your mother for validation. And why your mother takes solace in Zuko's dependence because she fears what she sees in you."

Azula felt her chest constrict. Once again the tears threatened to flow. A burning sensation filled the back of her throat. She stuck her tongue between her teeth and bit down to distract herself. Through sheer will, she forced the tears back and swallowed the pain in her throat back down. She wasn't about to disappoint her father even more than she already had.

"But, unlike your mother, I do not fear the power and potential you exhibit. I look at you and have nothing but pride. You truly are my daughter, and, like me, you are destined for greatness beyond the limitations placed on you by birth, which is why it is so disappointing to see my favor thrown aside with such indifference."

Azula felt worse than ever. She hadn't realized just how much she'd let him down.

_Mom's... afraid of me__?_

No, that's not what she should be thinking about...

_But, if it was __true... was __i__t true? __It had to be__; her father wouldn't lie__ to her..._

"I'm sorry, Father," Azula responded quietly enough so that he couldn't hear the quiver in her voice.

"You are dismissed, Azula. Do not disappoint me again!"

Azula stood, bowed and left the room. She closed the doors behind her and made her way down the hallway, away from her father's study and toward her own room. The pressure in her chest, the burning behind her eyes... none of it would go away, no matter how hard she willed it to do so. She made it halfway down the hall before she couldn't hold it back any longer. Tears filled her eyes as she broke out crying so hard she could barely see through her own tears. Despite that, she ran down the hall as fast as she could. She simply couldn't risk her father hearing her weakness. She'd already disappointed him enough.

Through the haze of it all, she finally made it to her own room. She threw open the door, ran inside and slammed it shut behind her.

In her room and all alone, Azula finally let it all out. She threw herself on the bed, stuffed her face in the sheets, and sobbed uncontrollably. So much so, that she didn't even hear the door open behind her.

"Hey, what's wrong, why are you crying?" Zuko's voice filled the room unexpectedly.

She sat up with her back to him. Part of her wanted nothing more than to run to him, to throw her arms around her big brother and continue crying. But she didn't, she couldn't.

_Only great fools let their minds be led by their feelings..._

Azula struggled with herself. She wanted so badly to let it all out. Maybe she could, just this once. Zuko wouldn't tell, would he...

_Do not disappoint me again!_

No! She couldn't indulge those thoughts. Hadn't she just promised her father that she'd be strong?

_Leave Zuko... Please just leave!_

"'C'mon 'Zula, what happened?" he asked again.

She couldn't be weak. Not now, especially not now.

_...emotions are a tool..._

If Zuko wouldn't leave on his own, then she'd make him leave. Azula stood up facing away from Zuko. She drew a deep breath and forced herself to stop crying, promising herself that she'd never do it again. She drew in another breath and held it, using that moment to push down all those feeling that threatened to betray her. She breathed out and wiped her eyes dry.

"Why won't you just tell me what's wrong?" she heard her brother's voice once again. She turned around and managed the best imitation of her father her six year old mind would allow.

"What's wrong is that I have a dummy in my room asking stupid questions!"

"Hey!" Zuko yelled back, suddenly angry, "I was just worried about..."

"About what? Are you worried because your little sister is already a better firebender than you?" She paused, allowing a moment of silence so she could rightly gage Zukos' reaction. Whatever she was doing, it seemed to be working, but he still wasn't leaving. She pressed harder, "...or did you lose some of your dollies? Oh, I know, maybe you're worried because Dad thinks you're not worth his time, so he chose to train me instead!"

"Shut up!" Zuko yelled through gritted teeth, tears already forming around the corners of his eyes.

"I hate you!" he yelled at her before turning and running out of her room.

For a moment, she considered yelling out to him, telling him she was sorry, but she didn't. She couldn't. If she wanted her father to be proud of her, this was how it had to be. So instead, she watched him run down the hall and said nothing to stop him.

But it was more than that that stopped her. She couldn't help but feel an odd mix of emotions. She was still upset that she'd disappointed father, and she did feel bad for what she'd said to Zuko, but... there was something else, a certain sense of strength, a feeling of real power that surged inside her during the whole exchange. _She'd_ been the one in control, and she'd done it with words alone, simple words.

..._emotions are nothing more than a tool.__ Learn to control your own, and you can control them in others._

She didn't even think she'd done a very good job at it. She'd only said the first thing that came to her mind to make Zuko angry so he'd leave. She wondered, for the first time, what she could accomplish if she actually planned out her manipulations.

The idea tantalized her but at the same time gave her pause. She thought about Zuko, crying as he turned to run out of her room.

_I hate you._

She didn't want to actually hurt anybody, but this feeling... She didn't want that to go away either. Maybe if she could just practice on Zuko a few more times...

The sound of screeching metal broke through the air. Startled, Azula's head snapped up and she starred at the door in front of her. It wasn't her bedroom door, but a solid metal cell door. One she recognized. She looked around at the faded white padding on the walls all around her. She tried to move, but couldn't. Her arms were bound around her, held in place by leather straps and bound at her sides. Her legs stretched out on the ground in front of her, a solid metal shackle clamped around her left ankle and chained to large metal ball.

This was her cell back at the Asylum (or "hospital" as Zuko had so kindly called it.)

She heard the grinding of metal again and looked up to the small slat in the cell door as it slid open. A pair of eyes looked in through it.

"It seems she's back with us again. If you want to speak to her, you should do it now," she heard a man's voice muffled through the door. It was clear he wasn't talking to her.

"What was it this time?" she heard a familiar voice question.

"The usual: another delusion about escaping, and, of course, planning to kill you," the man's voice paused...

_The usual... delusion …_

_...no!_

...then he spoke again, "Here, Fire lord, be quick. There's no telling when she'll drop into one of her fantasies again."

The eyes disappeared from the slat and, after a moment, were replaced by a new set of eyes staring in at her as though she was some kind of attraction in a sideshow.

She felt the bile rise in her throat as this new pair of eyes looked in on her. Even without the scar, Azula could never forget those eyes: the eyes of a traitor. Eyes far too weak and sentimental to belong to a proper Fire Lord, and worse still, they were eyes filled with pity.

_How dare he look __at me like that!_

Azula thrashed and pulled uselessly against her bonds. She wanted nothing more than to tear her arms free and claw the eyes from his face. But all her struggling did was wear her out. After another moment, she fell to her side and starred at Zuko between heavy breaths.

"The healers tell me you're getting worse," Zuko said calmly, almost pleading, "How much longer can you do this to yourself? How much longer can you let this hatred consume you?"

"How much longer, Dear Brother? If you really thought I'd crack under your watch after only a few short weeks, then you've severely underestimated just how deeply my hatred runs!"

Zuko's eyes shifted away. She could hear his muffled voice talking to someone, but couldn't hear the responses. When he looked back in, they were filled with even more of his disgusting weak pity.

"It's been seven years, Azula."

"What?" she spat back, not registering what he was trying to get at.

"Sozin's comet was seven years ago. You've been here ever since. I want to help you, but you won't let me. Please Azula, you're not well..."

Azula started laughing as the impossibility of the situation dawned on her. _This isn't even real. I was in the woods. _"This is just a dream. Say all you want brother. All I have to do is wait around until I wake up."

"This isn't a dream," Zuko said in a calm plea, "I am trying, but I can't help you if you won't let me. Azula, please..."

"Enough!" She didn't want to hear anymore. She was no longer content to wait for this dream to end; she'd force it to. She struggled and thrashed, trying anything to make herself wake up. All she wanted to do was wake up...

_...or go back to a dream?_

She screamed louder and struggled harder. She tried breathing fire but nothing would come out. The door to her cell clanked open. Healers and guards came rushing in. Behind them, she could see Zuko, still looking at her with that infuriating pity. Hands closed in all around her, drowning out the light until there was nothing but blackness surrounding her. She fought against it, fought against the hands grabbing for her. She thrashed and squirmed, fought desperately to open her eyes, to see past the darkness.

When she finally did, they were where gone. Her head darted back and forth as she looked around, trying to locate her attackers, but they were gone. She was no longer in that cursed cell, or even in the asylum anymore. There was only the soft glow of dying embers burning in the fire in front of her. She was lying against a log, and surrounded by trees.

It took her a moment to remember where she was and why. The woods, the Earth Kingdom, yes that's right. Not the hospital, that asylum, that dungeon!

..._The usual. Another delusion about escaping..._

She cradled her face in her hands, trying to shake of the remnants of the dream...

_...There's no telling when she'll drop into one of her fantasies again..._

She stood up and paced around the fire, "I know what's real," she mumbled to herself.

_...This isn't the dream..._

She slumped back down against the log and pulled her knees into her chest.

This is real. I know it is... it has to be.

She reached over and dug her nails into the skin of her forearm. She smiled a little as the pain shot up her arm, reassuring herself that this was indeed real. You didn't feel pain in dreams... do you?

No, no of course not. She knew the difference between reality and a dream, and this was most defiantly real.

…

_Wasn't it?_


	24. Chapter 23: The Fire Siblings

**Chapter 23**

The Fire Siblings

The sun was still an hour shy of peaking above the horizon to makes its empowering light available to the firebenders in the Capitol. A lone figure stood in the Palace courtyard, breathing slowly, gathering his energy, then bursting into a flurry of movements. Very few firebenders would bother practicing without the sun's aid, but Zuko thrived on it. His whole life had been marked by hardship and he found the difficulty of training at a disadvantage only served to push his skills that much further.

Unlike his sister, he was never a natural. All his skill and talent had come through nothing but his own determination and hard work, and that didn't apply to just his firebending. Zuko defined himself through his ability to overcome almost impossible situations through his sheer force of will. Now that he was Fire Lord, he saw no reason to forgo the very thing that had made him what he was.

An eruption of flame sputtered slightly as it left his right fist. In the daytime, it would have never been noticeable, but without the sun, all his mistakes were amplified. Zuko concentrated, steadied the flames, refined his form, and continued through the movements.

- - - - - - - - - -

Azula sat in front of the dying campfire, starring into dying embers but not really looking at them. She'd not been able to fall back asleep since waking a few hours ago.

_Waking up, or had she fallen back to sleep__?_

Every time the fires glow simmered to a brightness she considered unacceptable, she'd douse it with another blast of bluish flames, bringing the exhausted embers reluctantly back to life. By the time the morning sun scattered its light through the trees, Azula's firebending was the only thing keeping the embers lit.

With the rising of the sun, she could feel her strength swell, helping ease her mood ever so slightly. She's always hated the night. The simple fact that she was forced to give up even a fraction of her power to something she had no control over... she detested it.

She breathed steadily, drawing the cool air into her lungs, holding it for a second then exhaling. Another puff of flame steadily left her hand. With the sun up, it took almost no effort at all to produce and control the flame. A perfectly steady flame emanated from her hand and she took solace in once again being at full strength.

- - - - - - - - - -

Zuko finished his morning workout by the time sunlight was creeping down from the top of the Palace parapets.

As he cleaned up and changed into his travel clothes, the same ones he'd worn when traveling with the Avatar, he thought over his plans for dealing with Azula, or rather, the lack thereof. Not that this really bothered him. There were very few times in his life were things had gone according to plan, so he'd grown used to not relying too heavily on them. He was far more comfortable with simply dealing with problems as they came along.

He quietly opened the door to his private chamber, his eyes falling to the bed where the covers where wrapped around Mai's still sleeping form. He smiled.

Out of everything he'd learned during his long banishment, there was still one lesson that hadn't been fully hammered into his head until yesterday.

More than his skill at fighting or firebending, it was learning to put his faith and trust in his allies, friends, and loved ones. That was real strength.

He wondered for a moment if maybe his reluctance to accept that final lesson had been due to his father's twisted teachings still lingering around in the dark recesses of his own mind, or if he just had his own stubbornness to blame.

Either way, it wasn't something he was intending on doing again.

- - - - - - - - - -

Azula leaned back against the log and pulled her hand away from the smoldering ashes, finally letting the fire die out. She looked over towards Yu's camp. Was it really worth keeping him around like this? Was this plan really going to work if she had to place any dependence on someone so excruciatingly average?

She'd always made a point to surround herself with nothing but the best. Those she considered elite. Like Mai and Ty Lee.

She closed her eyes. No, best not to think about those two. She'd made a mistake, a grave one. She actually considered them her allies, her friends.

Such weakness.

"Trouble sleeping?"

Azula's head turned. Sitting across the smoldering pile of ash, sat herself. They locked eyes for a moment as a slight unease, a subtle doubting of reality, teased the recesses of Azula's mind.

"What do you want!?" she demanded of herself.

"No need to be rude. Especially to me. It's bad for your self esteem," she said, a coy smirk pulling on the edge of her lips. "You were thinking of Mai and Ty Lee. Good. That's good. It's an important lesson to keep in mind. We trusted them as much as we've ever trusted anyone, and looked how that turned out."

Her Other cocked her head towards Yu's campsite. "It's just human nature I suppose. He'll do the same, if you give him the chance."

She turned back to Azula, that infuriatingly arrogant smile pasted across her face. "Which is why we're not going to give him the chance, correct?"

Azula didn't say anything. She didn't want to admit to herself that she had, indeed, been feeling a slight tug of doubt regarding that particular aspect of the plan. As to why, she'd yet to figure out. She turned her eyes towards Yu's camp. She felt a knot of white hot anger twist and pulse in her chest, almost as though she had an organ specifically dedicated to producing that emotion. She could still feel the eyes of her Other burning into her even as she kept her eyes locked on the place where Yu now slept.

She initially didn't know why she was suddenly so angry, and why it was so completely directed at him. At that moment, all she did know was any doubts she had about his fate burned away in that moment.

When she turned back to look across the fire, her Other was gone. Azula had been expecting that.

Yu would serve his purpose, play his role, and then be disposed of. She'd made the mistake of putting her faith and trust in allies before, it wasn't something she was intending on doing again.

- - - - - - - - - -

Once Zuko had his things packed (as a ritual, he'd gotten used to doing this himself and didn't bother the servants with it), he walked over to the bed and placed a hand on Mai's shoulder, prodding her gently. A pillow smacked him in the face.

Mai pulled the sheets over her head and mumbled something he didn't understand.

"Hey, coming along was your idea!"

"It's too early to save the world," the Mai-shaped lump said from under the sheets.

"I can just go on my own. I'm sure there's plenty of exciting things to do around the palace while I'm gone."

There was a long drawn out sigh from underneath the covers as the shape beneath them curled into a tight ball. Then the sheets flew back and she lay on the bed staring directly at the ceiling. "Alright fine, give me five minutes."

- - - - - - - - - -

"Oooof!"

Yu was rudely awakened by his pack landing squarely on his chest.

"Was it your intention of sleeping the entire day away? We have a destination to reach. Now, hurry up!"

"Good morning to you too," Yu said through a yawn as he sat up and started to worm his way out of his sleeping bag.

Azula shot him an angry look, then turned and walked away.

_Now what did I do?_ Yu thought as he quickly packed up. He threw his pack over his shoulder, patted out the remaining embers of his campfire with his hands, then started off through the woods with Azula already well in the lead.

- - - - - - - - - -

"So, what are you brooding about now?" Mai sighed.

Zuko turned from the palanquins window to look at Mai. "I wasn't brooding, I was just thinking."

"With you it's pretty much the same thing," she said while absent mindedly cleaning her fingernails with one of her knives.

"This whole thing with Azula, it's just brought up a lot of things I haven't thought about in a long time. Things I thought I buried a long time ago."

"Such as?"

"Like when I told you Azula and I used to get along as kids. It's something I haven't thought about in years, but now it seems to be all I _can_ think about. Part of me just wanted to forget about her, to just wash my hands of the whole thing and just let her and my father share the same fate. But I can't. It just feels... wrong."

"How so?"

"I joined the Avatar because I wanted to help bring balance back to the world, and somehow, I think helping Azula might be part of all that."

Mai shot him a curious look with one eyebrow raised.

Zuko tried to explain, "My uncle once told me that the reason I always felt so conflicted was because I'm descended from both Fire lord Sozin, _and_ Avatar Roku. That because of that, Evil and Good were always at war inside me."

Zuko paused for a moment, looking down and gathering his thoughts. Mai stayed quiet and just listened as Zuko continued.

"Azula was always better at everything when we were growing up. I was always jealous and angry that everything came _sooo_ easily for her. But, as we got older, the one thing, more than anything else, that really got to me, really made me start to hate her, was that she never ever seemed to doubt herself. She was always so sure and confident and everything she was doing was right, like she never had a single doubt about who she was and what she was supposed to be doing. If my uncle's right, then how could that be? We've got the same ancestors, yet she's never showed the slightest sign of ever being conflicted about anything she's ever done!"

He felt Mai's hand on his arm and looked over at her as she began to speak.

"I'm not so sure I buy into all this spiritual good and bad stuff in the first place, but let's say I do. If that's the case, isn't it just easier to assume you got more Roku, she got more Sozin?"

"No, it's not that easy. Nothing in my life has ever been easy. I'm not going to start taking that route now."

"Geez, is a simple a yes or no answer not melodramatic enough for you?"

"I just have this feeling. Like, what's happening with Azula might have something to do with all that. When I felt I was at my most conflicted back in Ba Sing Se, I got sick and had these really strange dreams because of it. Now, for once in Azula's life, things didn't work out for her. Everything started falling apart around her and now the doctors are telling me she's having hallucinations. I know it's a stretch, and I can't really explain it, but ..."

"You think Azula might be going through something similar," Mai said skeptically. "You seem to be forgetting that after your grand epiphany in Ba Sing Se, you ended up siding with Azula."

Zuko let out a long breath. She had a point. Even if Azula was going through some kind of moral struggle, there was no guarantee she'd be any better for it if she made it though.

_If?_

_ ...It's possible that, if she succumbs completely to her hallucinations, she'll become trapped in her own mind. _The doctor's words came back to him.

_If _she made it though.

"Look, I'm well aware of who we're dealing with here, and what she's capable of. That's why, right now, all I'm interested in is capturing her before she can do any real harm. The peace between the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom is tenuous enough without Azula's scheming to worry about. Once I get her back in that hospital and triple the guards, _then_ I'll see what I can do, if anything, to help her."

- - - - - - - - - -

Azula was truly getting sick of trudging through forests. She was tired, she was filthy, _she was seei__ng things that didn't exist._

She stopped walking and rubbed her eyes. As though the action would somehow let her reassert control over reality. If that indeed was what this was.

_No__,__ no__,__ no. Stop it.__ Of course this is, don't be foolish. The__y're__ just dreams__.__ T__hat's all it was._

"So how long 'till we get to this Yenrai place?" Yu came up beside her, stretching and yawning. In a strange way, Yu was her single best assurance that this wasn't some sort of delusion or dream. Other than harboring one single solitary useful ability, every other aspect of him was so unremarkable and ordinary that there was simply no way that _any_ aspect of her mind would have produced _him_ as a hallucination.

"If we stay on foot, it'll take a week. Though I've no intention of wandering about in the wild any longer than we already have. There should be a trade road north of us and Yenrai is a large city. With any luck we shouldn't have to wait long before finding a merchant heading in the right direction. If we can manage a ride, it should only take a few days."

"So what's so special about this Yenrai place anyway? What are we gonna do when we get there that we can't do some other little town out around here?"

She knew she was going to have to explain herself sooner or later. He wasn't just going to follow her around like a little lost puppy hog forever. She'd already started working out what she was going to tell him, but just didn't feel like going into it just now.

"One thing at a time. Once we're on our way, I promise to explain everything."

- - - - - - - - - -

Zuko stepped out of the palanquin and saw an ostrich horse getting corralled onto the ship.

Mai gave him a sideways glance that he understood without her even saying anything.

"We'll need them once we get to the Earth Kingdom. I'll explain once we get in the ship." Zuko turned back and examined what was going to be his transport for the coming journey.

The ship that, at this time yesterday had been thrown aside and forgotten under a pile of lumber, was now sitting in the middle of the hanger, repaired and ready to fly... he hoped.

A long sleek metal hull, looking somewhat like miniature fire nation warship, hung below two elongated balloons held side by side by a series of metal frames that also held the balloons to the crew compartment that hung below them. Other than the twin balloons, it's most distinctive feature was a long metal tube, like a smoke stack lying on its side, running in-between the balloons and extending out the back. It was connected to the crew compartment by a series of smaller tubes connecting into it. As far as Zuko could tell, it looked like some kind of overly elaborate exhaust system for the ships boilers.

The ship hadn't been painted, and had nothing to identify it as Fire Nation. Not that it really mattered. The Fire Nation was the only country that even _had_ airship technology, but Zuko just felt more comfortable about it this way. He didn't plan on going near any cities (that's what the ostrich horses were for), but they'd probably be spotted by a few travelers at least. For Zuko, it was more an ethical decision than a diplomatic one. The last thing he wanted was any Earth Kingdom citizen having to see the Fire Nation insignia floating above them.

"So, you two ready to go then?" Zuko heard Jian's voice booming across the hanger. He tore his eyes away from the ship to see the engineer standing on the ships gangplank. He had a toolbox in one hand and a sack of whatever thrown over his shoulder.

"You're coming with?" Zuko asked.

"Of course I'm comin' with!" Jian bellowed as though it should have been the most obvious thing in the world. "Someone's gotta be on board ta keep this thing runnin' or it won't make it halfway to the Earth Kingdom."

"I thought you said you'd have this thing ready to fly!"

"I said I could have it ready in a week! You wanted it in a day. Jus' cause yer Fire lord doesn't mean yer words can change reality. Ya gave me an impossible order an' my men did the best they could, but there's a good chance this thing'll be losin' a few pieces along the way. That's why I'm taggin' along."

Zuko's head dropped in exasperation. _Great, just great._

Almost as if on cue, a metal bracket fell from one of the balloons. It hit the gangplank a few feet from Zuko with a 'CLUNK', bounced once and slid to a screeching halt at Jian's feet. Zuko starred at it for a moment. He couldn't help but be reminded of the fate his own small ship during his pursuit of the avatar. He rubbed his face with his palm and sighed. _Even as Firelord, I__ can't get a decent ship._

As Jian picked up the piece, looked up at the ship and started assuring Zuko that he'd have it fixed in a minute. Zuko just turned away, shook his head and walked onto the ship.

Mai walked beside him doing little to conceal a smile that was trying to fight its way onto her face.

"What?" Zuko asked without even needing to look at her.

"Oh nothing, I just hope the ship falling apart before we've even taken off isn't a sign of things to come."

- - - - - - - - - -

They only had to walk along the road for an hour before a merchants wagon came rumbling up behind them. The wagon, which almost looked nailed together from scrap wood, came to a stop beside them in response to Yu franticly waving his arms. The old man pulled on the reigns, bringing his ostrich horses to a halt.

As Yu spouted out some convoluted explanation that Azula only half listened too (_...sick grandmother... ….my sister and I... ...attacked by bandits..._ ) She looked over the wagon, being sadly reminded that, only months ago, she was traveling the world and hunting down the avatar in her own personal royal battleship. Complete with a crew at her command and disposal. She could have made any command, and they'd jump to it, no matter what it was. That was the kind of power she had. Now, here she was, being forced to ride in the back of some decrepit filthy wagon and she had to lie to be allowed even that much.

Her fury for Zuko burned even deeper.

She hopped into the back of the wagon while refusing Yu's attempts to help her. She had to keep herself from outright unleashing on him and used a considerable amount of willpower to politely refuse his further attempts. He really was amazingly adept at rubbing her the wrong way.

She sat down (close to the back, in case Yu decided to catch on fire) between a barrel of something slimy and a crate of something smelly. She sincerely hoped that Zuko would be coming for her soon. The quicker this was over with...

"And then what, Azula?" a third passenger asked. Ursa was sitting across from Azula on burlap sacks of rice. Yu paid no attention to the regally dressed Fire Nation royal sitting just beside him, almost as though she wasn't even there.

"Once you've had your revenge, once you've eliminated all past and potential betrayers, then what will you do? What do you honestly hope to accomplish with all this? Do you even know what it is that you want?"

"Don't act like you know me." Azula closed her eyes and balled her fists so hard her fingernails almost cut into her palms.

"What? I didn't even say...." The image of Ursa was gone when Azula opened her eyes to see a very confused Yu starring back at her.

"I wasn't talking to you!" She spat out before turning away and leaning her back against the barrel.

Yu cast an awkward glance in her direction but decided not to follow up with anymore questions.

_ That settles it. This is the last crazy girl I ever steal from a hospital._

* * *

**Damn, has it really been a month and a half since my last update? Sorry about that.**

**Among just being very very busy to get ready for my Christmas vacation, I also almost broke my back. So that was fun.**

**Anyway, I'm on vacation now and healed up, so I can actually get some stuff written in a more respectable amount of time.  
**


	25. Chapter 24: New Mission

**Chapter 24**

The Kyoshi Warriors New Mission

Suki had once remarked to Sokka, "I am a warrior, but I'm also a girl." Unfortunately, that also worked the other way around.

Most of her time spent in Senlin village was dedicated to dealing with the prisoners, and even though Sokka and the rest of the group had stayed an extra day to deal with Sokka's injuries and help out where they could, she wasn't able to spend much time with him at all. In fact, the only time she did spend with him was in trying to keep him and Toph from taunting the prisoners.

The worst of which came when she had to stop the two of them from playing a "game" they'd made up that consisted of trying to bounce pebbles and small rocks off the metal plate still twisted around Combustion Man's head. He was trapped in the ground up to his shoulders and completely immobile. They'd even gone through the effort of drawing a small target on him (according to the score scratched in the dirt, Toph was winning twenty three to six).

While Suki couldn't necessarily blame them, she was trying to keep the dealings with the prisoners as professional as possible, so was forced to break up their shenanigans. Though, not after taking a few turns herself.

Sokka and the rest of the group had left on Appa early that morning as soon as the soldiers from Omashu showed up. It was late afternoon before the last of the prisoners were loaded up and on their way back to Omashu (the only city close that could handle that many prisoners). Once the last wagon was out of site, Suki breathed a sigh of relief. The last few weeks had been especially stressful and she sincerely hoped she could finally allow the girls a few days rest before having to head out again.

She should have known better.

The messenger hawk's shadow slipped across the ground before her feet at the same moment she heard its screech. She turned and lifted her arm. The bird landed gracefully on her forearm and gave one last screech before ruffling its feathers and coming to rest. Suki looked at the note attached to its foot.

Black ribbon. A note directly from the Firelord.

"Huh, that's weird. Wonder what Zuko wants?" Suki spoke to herself as she opened the tightly rolled note. As soon as her eyes set on the message she felt a knot in her stomach and she let out a long slow breath.

"Ty Lee!" she yelled as she turned and waved the hawk off her arm guard. It flew a few feet away and landed on a fence, giving Suki a disgruntled caw.

"Yeah? What's wrong, Suki?" the acrobat with the white painted face came running up to her after breaking away from the other Kyoshi warriors. She looked concerned, as though maybe she'd done something wrong but didn't know what.

"Sorry, Ty Lee, but I'm gonna have to cancel that little vacation of yours."

"How come?"

Suki turned the note around her in hands and held it up for Ty Lee to see. There were two faces on the piece of paper. One of the faces Ty Lee had never seen before. The other she had no trouble recognizing.

"Because," Suki continued, lowering the unwrapped scroll and looking Ty Lee directly in the eyes. "The person you were going to visit isn't there anymore."

* * *

The Monorail car ground against the rough rocky surface of the incomplete track, jostling and bouncing it's passengers inside. Makato steadied himself with a hand on the window frame as the Earthbenders moved the car over the not yet smoothed out sections of track. After a few minutes, the car steadied as it again found itself coasting along a more finished section of track.

With the car settled again, Makato dared look out the window at the track they now rode along, very well aware that if they hit another rough spot he could very well be thrown out the car. He pulled his head quickly back in as he pictured himself doing just that.

The Great Earth Kingdom Monorail (as it was going to be called) ran between the great city of Ba Sing Se to the second largest city in the Earth Kingdom, Omashu. Even though construction was still in the beginning stages, Makato was absolutely amazed at what an entire army of Earthbenders could do. The two great cities were now linked together by what looked like a very short and very narrow mountain range. A mostly smooth path ran along the ridge, where their monorail car now traveled.

While raising the raw material and getting it to this stage had only taken a week (with the combined forces of around three hundred Earthbenders returning to Omashu and over a thousand from Ba Sing Se,) the actual completion of the project wouldn't be for another few months. Earthbenders or not, getting the monorail into proper running (aesthetically pleasing) order required more precise calculations and the adept technique's of skilled Earthbending craftsman.

Makato would see small camps of them every now and then, usually around the few areas where the monorail car rode smoothly. If there work in those areas was any indication, when completed, this monorail would look just like the ones he'd gotten a glimpse of six years ago after General Iroh had breached the outer wall of Ba Sing Se.

And here he was, heading straight toward the very city that he promised himself he'd never return to. Luckily, before any more bad memories could be stirred up, his second in command, a young man named Yenzo, interrupted his thoughts.

"The King seemed a bit..." the soldier hesitated, trying to find the right word.

"Crazy?" Makato interjected as he looked at the scenery passing by outside the tram.

"I was going to say 'touched' sir."

"Which is a polite way to say crazy."

They'd met with King Bumi only briefly to present him with a scroll signed and sealed by Fire Lord Zuko. After reading it over, and making a few horrible fire-related puns, King Bumi allowed them special permission to ride the incomplete monorail all the way to Ba Sing Se... or however far it currently went. Neither Makato nor any of his men knew if Bumi was joking, or honestly didn't know how much of the track was actually complete. After a few seconds of consideration, Makato decided not to ask, as he was sure he wasn't going to get a straight answer anyway. Even now, he had a sneaking suspicion that the King's apparent insanity was nothing but an act, though it was hard to be sure either way.

Makato turned his attention back to Yenzo.

"Slouch a little, will you!" he said to the perplexed soldier.

"Uh... sir?"

"We're supposed to be posing as civilians, try and look the part. You're posture's too stiff, and for now, until we return to the Fire Nation, don't call me sir. Just refer to each other by name."

"The same goes for the two of you as well," Makato turned to the other soldiers sitting on the other side of the car. The two men nodded, relaxed themselves, and then went back to talking amongst themselves.

"Well sir... uh I mean Makato... sir. If we're going to be casual, do you mind if I ask permission to speak freely?"

Makato eyed him for a second, then decided to follow his own orders and relax a bit. "Very well."

"Ever since we received our orders to go to Ba Sing Se, you've seemed... on edge. Is there something wrong?"

Makato paused for a long moment, his eyes again found the window and stared out of it at the desert passing by in the distance as the monorail traced along the great desert's northern edge.

"I served under General Iroh during the siege. Shortly after we breached the outer wall, I lost my best friend in combat, and I was captured. I spent the next three years in a pit."

"A pit!? Were the prison camps really that bad?"

"When I say a pit, I'm not being derogatory. They literally put us in a pit. Forty feet deep, sheer walls as slick as glass and impossible to climb. They'd just lower food and new prisoners down on a slab and pull it back into the wall once it reached the bottom. It was impossible for anyone that wasn't an Earthbender to escape. Even worse, the pits were in underground caves so it was impossible to tell just how much time was passing. By the time we managed to escape, I didn't even know we'd been down there for three years."

"I'm sorry to hear that. How did you escape?"

"Like I said, it was impossible for anyone but Earthbenders, and that's who got us out."

"How? Why?" Yenzo asked, now completely intrigued.

"Apparently, a Fire Nation officer hired some Earthbender mercenaries to pose as Fire Nation soldiers and get captured on purpose. The pits weren't guarded very strictly, no real reason for it. So, once they were in the pits with us, they just tunneled us out."

Makato paused for a moment, reflecting on the entire thing, those days in the pit still felt like a blur. With no sun to measure the passage of days, time just ran together. Trying to recall it all, he still couldn't believe it had lasted three years. Seemed much shorter than that... but at the same time, much longer. The mind had an odd way of coping with confinement. Because of that, his memory of the place was spotty. Not that he wanted to remember. So he always considered that side effect a bit of a blessing.

"I never even found out who sent them," Makato continued after a long uninterrupted pause. "The mercenaries, that is. We all split up just after the escape to avoid getting recaptured. And the mercenaries didn't feel the need to tell us anything before disappearing. I asked around a bit, but no one seemed to know what I was talking about. In the end, I just figured whoever had done it didn't want it to be found out. Either it was top secret, or done without authorization. Still though, I'd really like to thank the man behind it. He may have saved our lives."

He walked away from Yenzo and took a seat at the front of the car. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, picturing the great city's walls and remembering that fateful battle. He thought of his lost friend and of the arrow that seemed to come out of nowhere, piercing his neck and felling both his best friend and commanding officer just moments before being ambushed.

Makato leaned forward and rubbed his temples.

Ba Sing Se. The last place in the world he ever wanted to return to.

_Oh well Lu Ten__,_ he gave his fallen friend another thought, _At the very least I'll finally get to visit your grave.  
_

* * *

"Alright, fall in behind me and listen up!" Suki yelled out her orders as she marched towards the village's meeting hall. The other Kyoshi warriors gathered behind and followed her as she barked out her orders.

"Lin, stay here with the rest of the girls. Any other orders coming in by hawk, take care of it. You're in charge while I'm gone. Ty Lee, you're with me!"

Suki ran into the meeting hall and left the other warriors outside. While they waited, Ty Lee could feel the other girls' eyes on her. She shifted on her feet and looked at the ground, doing what she could to avoid making eye contact. She was acutely aware that news of Azula's escape was a blatant reminder of her own role in their capture.

Ty Lee felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Lin smiling back at her.

"I just want you to know, we're not mad at you, if that's what you're worried about. If anything, we're just a little jealous that you get to go with Suki."

Ty Lee threw her arms around Lin in a tight affectionate hug. "Thanks. I know I did some pretty bad stuff when I was with Azula. I'm just glad I have you all as my friends now."

Ty Lee put her arms down at her sides and beamed a huge smile at Lin.

"Just make sure you're careful. I know this is a little personal for both of you, so do me a favor and keep an eye on Suki, and you don't do anything stupid either."

Ty Lee bowed and ran over to join Suki as she walked outside.

Within the hour, Suki and Ty Lee were on the back of an ostrich-horse and heading due east as fast as the animal could move.

"Uh, Suki. I don't think were headed the right way. I thought Katara said they were heading north?"

"This ostrich-horse won't be able to catch Appa, so we need take a little detour and get something that can."

"Why didn't you just send that hawk you got from Zuko back there?"

"Because this is too important to take a chance that they won't get it. If Azula's out, I want to make sure Aang knows, _and_ I want to help bring her to justice anyway I can. One of the villagers told me there's a small town just half a day's travel due East with an eelhound pen. We used one during the comet to intercept the Fire Nation air fleet. It's the only thing I can think of that might be fast enough to catch an air bison. That's where headed."

"It's kinda funny isn't it?" Ty Lee yelled over the wind whipping past her face.

"What's that?"

"Here I am. One of the good guys and I'm chasing down the Avatar for Azula's sake all over again."

"Why do you think I brought you with?" Suki yelled back over her shoulder. "You've got Avatar tracking experience and you've taken out Azula before."

Ty Lee sighed and just responded with a weak "Yeah."


	26. Chapter 25: Azula Always Lies

**Chapter 25**

Azula Always Lies

"We don't look anything alike," Azula stated plainly as the wagon bumped and rocked down the road.

"Huh?" Yu looked up at her as he slouched against the opposite wall inside the wagon. He was still trying to find a comfortable position among the barrels and crates the merchant was transporting. "Ok, wait, back up a bit here. I feel like we're in the middle of a conversation that we never actually started."

"You told him we were brother and sister, yet it didn't seem to occur to you that we look nothing alike. If you're going to lie, you need to take the details into consideration."

"So what? You think I should have told him we're a couple or something?"

Azula laughed. "If you give any consideration to the way I look in comparison to your own appearance, then no, I think that would be an even less believable story."

"Aw, you really shouldn't be so hard on yourself."

"You're hilarious."

"Well I try."

"'Try' being the operative here." Azula looked at him and studied him for a moment. "You're also not as much of an idiot as you let on."

"Was that a complement?"

"Just an observation. There are rare times when, dare I say it, you actually seem clever. Then, like you were doing yesterday, you act like a fool when it seems to suit you. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were doing it specifically to agitate me."

"Was it that obvious?"

"Not until just now. Thank you for confirming my suspicion. So, passive aggressive personality then, is it? I guess I can't really blame you. It's not like you're any match for me physically or mentally. I suppose in the end I left you little choice but to retaliate like an angry toddler. I do have to hand it to you, there's not many people who would seek to make me angry on purpose."

"So, does that mean you're impressed?"

"No, I'm just too tired to hurt you right now."

"Eh, I'll take what I can get, especially from you. Hey, not to stray away from the subject of me getting pummeled or anything, but didn't you say you'd actually tell me what's going on?"

"I did, didn't I," Azula paused for a moment, making sure she had the story organized in her head. Then, after a beat, continued.

"Fine, I suppose I owe you that much, but first, let me ask you something. How much do you know about the war?"

"Not much. It was started by the Fire Nation. Lasted a hundred years. Then the Avatar shows up and put an end to it all. And I guess the guy that's the current Fire Lord, that Zuko guy, helped the Avatar with all that, and now the worlds at peace and stuff."

"Yes, 'and stuff,'" Azula sighed for dramatic effect and looked out the back of the wagon for a few seconds. Making sure the look on her face was just mournful enough to look convincing without going overboard.

"Well then, it would seem my brother's propaganda has done wonders. Everyone in the world thinks him the hero and my father and I as the villains. Just like he planned it."

Azula turned and looked directly at Yu. He was once again struck with that distinct feeling of being prey trapped in the gaze of a predator. It was so subtle, yet so threatening, Yu couldn't even be sure if Azula was doing it on purpose or not.

"When my father became Fire Lord, he had every intention of ending the war. Unfortunately, he found that it wasn't that simple."

"Why not?"

"If you'll not interrupt, I'm trying to explain."

"Sorry."

Azula shot him a look that let him know that his silence was more appreciated than an apology. He kept quiet.

"The Fire Nation had far too much invested in the war. The nobles, the generals, the regent governors, had acquired more power, land and influence than they'd ever had before in our Nation's history. If my father had simply called an end to it all, there would have been a revolt or a coup. It was a precarious situation. He had to keep the appearance of war rolling forward while at the same time trying to convince them that peace was in the best interest of our country, and the world. May father was forced to walk a tightrope... and then there was my mother." She paused again. Closed her eyes and made an excellent show of holding back tears. She 'calmed' herself with a few long breaths and continued.

"When I was young, my mother always spent a great deal of time with my brother, and practically ignored me. I grew up always thinking that my mother loved him more than me. It was only later that I realized the truth. She never loved him; I doubt she was even capable of it. He was just someone she could mold. She simply found him more useful than me." Azula stopped again, but this time it wasn't part of her act. For some reason the words caught in her throat and she had to fight down an odd sensation in her chest. She pushed past it and dismissed it as a side effect of exhaustion.

She continued.

"You see, my mother was a devious and power hungry woman. Unknown to my father, she'd been making deals with prominent nobles behind his back. She even brought my brother, Zuko, in on it. Her plan was to have my father assassinated and put Zuko on the throne so she could rule through him."

"Hey wait, Zuko? That's the guy who's Fire Lord now right?"

That look again. Yu shut up.

"When my father discovered her plan, he was as devastated. It tore my father apart to have her arrested and banished, but he had to for the sake of his country. My brother was another matter."

"My father tried to get through to him, but my mother's influence was too strong. Years later during a war meeting, my brother made his move. He spoke out against my father and tried to incite a coup. My father responded the only way he could, and challenged him to an Agni Kai before things could get out of hand."

"A whosamawhatsits?"

"An Agni Kai. It is an honor duel between fire benders. It broke my father's heart to have to fight his own son, but he was left with little choice. My Father won, and Zuko was banished. Though in that, my father decided on a plan that just might allow him to end the war once and for all. As a condition of his banishment, my father promised Zuko he could return if he found the Avatar. My brother set off. Then, three years later, something terrible happened."

"What?" Yu sat in wide eyed anticipation.

"He found him."

"Wait, I thought the Avatar was a good guy? Why is it bad that your brother found him? Wasn't that what he was supposed to do? Did I miss something?"

"The Avatar turned out to be a twelve year old boy. How difficult do you think it was for my brother to manipulate him? Besides, when my father banished my brother, he never actually expected him to find the Avatar. In truth, he did so in hopes that traveling the world would open my brother's eyes to the suffering and strife caused by the war. He had hoped that when my brother returned, Zuko's eyes would be opened and they could work together to convince the nobles and generals that calling an end to the war was the right thing to do."

Azula shook her head and lowered her eyes. She let out a somber sigh (not too long, she didn't want to overdo it. Emotional cues needed to be subtle, lest they come off as insincere.) She was never very good at crying on cue, so instead she gave a slight twitch to her right eye that would be interpreted as blinking back a tear. When she felt her pause had hit the appropriate emotional resonance with Yu, she continued.

"Despite what my father had hoped for, Zuko's banishment only steeled his determination to take the throne for my father. When my brother found the child, he cared nothing of peace or restoring balance. All he saw was a means to achieving his goals."

"Reports started flooding in about attacks on our Earth Kingdom colonies. By the time word had gotten to the palace it was already too late to stop the chaos. Fear set in and panic resulted. All across the colonies, reagent governors declared martial law and began mobilizing their troops to invade neighboring provinces in hopes of finding the Avatar. My father had lost all control. Just like my brother planned.

Azula continued her story for another two hours. Zuko, the grand puppet master, manipulating the Avatar and the war itself for his own selfish goals. When talking of her father, she replaced him with someone far more suitable to the tale, seeing as how it only made sense if this imagined Fire Lord came across as a well meaning yet ultimately incompetent leader that was utterly incapable properly managing his own country. It wasn't that difficult of a character to create, she just imagined the Fire Nation under Zuko's control.

As for her part in the tale, she had to be a bit more creative. She couldn't come across too altruistic, considering that she had already beaten Yu up once, and by no means had acted kindly toward him. Her revisions followed suit.

In the end, the "peace" the world now enjoyed was nothing but a ruse. Her brother ruled the Fire Nation from the throne and the Earth Kingdom from the shadows (with the help of their equally sinister uncle, who coincidently resided in Ba Sing Se to keep a close watch on his Nephew's city). The Avatar was still his puppet, nothing but a poor misled little boy (Azula was worried that her brother had something horrible in store for him.) And, of course, she was thrown in an asylum to be sure that no one took her tale seriously.

Once her tale was done, she applauded herself silently. A play write might spend years and not be able to spin such a tale.

"I realize I've been mostly... unpleasant ever since you've helped me escape. I would like to apologize for that. But, as you now understand, the weight on my mind has not been insignificant. My entire country, as well as the entire world now hangs in the balance and I fear I am the only one that can set things right."

"I... I didn't know. I'm sorry."

"I believe that I can expose him for what he really is, but I need your help."

"Me? What do you think I can do? This all seems way over my head."

"Then you're in luck, because I'll be doing the thinking. Tell you what, let's make a deal. You're trying to find out who you are. I'm trying to get my Kingdom back. It would be an easy task for someone of royalty to uncover that kind of information. Help me with my brother, I I'll help you find out who you are."

It didn't take much time for Yu to think it over. "What do you need me to do?"

"Nothing much. My brother will be coming for me – I have no doubt of that. Simply keep your senses open and tell me when you detect any Firebenders, especially in large groups as my brother will most likely have escorts. There shouldn't be many in the Earth Kingdom, so that makes your job easy. All you have to do is keep me informed and I'll handle the rest."

Yu didn't say anything and just gave her a thumbs up.

"Fantastic. Now, if you don't mind, I'm tired from all that talking and I could really use some sleep. Keep an eye out, will you?"

"Yeah, I'll make sure the old man up front doesn't try anything funny."

"Wake me if he does. I'm not confident you'd be able to stop him," Azula said with a wry smile as she closed her eyes and tried to get comfortable in her small spot in the back of the bouncing, creaking wagon. She was asleep almost as soon as she closed her eyes.

Yu looked her over for a moment, letting everything she'd just told him sink in.

_That was a heck of a story... Wonder if any of it was actually true?_

* * *

Appa was already making short work of the bushes along the river bank while the rest of the gang set up camp in the clearing behind him. Momo spiraled down through the air and landed beside the great beast and began drinking from the river.

Long shadows, cast by the low hanging sun shining its light through the trees, played over their campsite before beginning to fade as the sun met the horizon.

"Make sure you don't heal it too much. I wanna make sure it leaves a cool looking scar."

"Sokka, that's the stupidest thing you've ever said." Katara moved the water over his wound. "I'm not going to hold back on healing you just because you want to show off. Now sit still and stop squirming."

Toph got busy setting up rock shelters while Aang gathered firewood. They still had some food left over from their eventful visit to Senlin village, so they wouldn't need to gather any tonight.

"Ok, that should about do it. Now, for Toph." Katara stood up and looked behind her as Sokka pulled his shirt closed. Toph, who had been walking up behind them, waved her hand dismissively at Katara.

"No thanks sister. It's just some scrapes and bruises. Nothin' I haven't dealt with before. We Earthbenders are built tougher than you waterwimps."

Katara rolled her eyes and turned to see it Aang was back. "Is Aang still out gathering firewood?"

He hadn't spoken much, even to her, since they'd left Senlin village yesterday. He was still blaming himself for the current situation. He hadn't said as much, but Katara knew him well enough.

"I'll go see if he needs any help," Sokka said, jumping to his feet.

Aang was barely paying attention to what he was doing, listlessly gathering twigs and branches as he stared through the trees and up towards the moon. It's pale light shimmered off the surface of the slow moving river just beyond the tree's. In another two days it would be full, maybe then he could try and contact the moon spirit.

Aang sighed. This was more frustrating than dealing with the Fire Nation. At least then he knew who and what he was fighting against. His trip into the spirit world left him with more questions than it did answers and he still didn't understand how the moon spirit tied into all of this.

That's why they were still heading to the Northern Water Tribe. If there were any answers to their waterbending troubles and it's connection to Yue...

The sound of a snapping twig caught his attention. Aang dropped the meager amount of wood he'd gathered and spun around, ready for a fight.

"Woah! Hey, settle down. Just me," Sokka waved his hands in front of him as he approached Aang.

"Sorry Sokka. I didn't hear you approaching." Aang turned around and started picking up the firewood.

"Hey Aang, I wanted to talk to you about something."

Aang stopped what he was doing and turned around. "What is it?"

"The other day, when I got mad at you. I'm sorry. That wasn't fair. I know you and Katara were both worried, and you didn't know what was going on so..." Sokka paused. This sure wasn't the mood he was trying to strike. He wanted his apology to be a bit more lighthearted. Now it felt all awkward and he didn't even know how he was going to finish this sentence.

So he didn't. "Hey, you remember back in Ba Sing Se, at the Jasmine Dragon when I first caught you kissing Katara."

Aang started laughing, "Yeah. I didn't think a face could get that red. You really freaked out."

"I know, I know. See that's what I'm trying to get at. Sometimes I let my feelings talk instead of my head. When I blew up at you back there, I wasn't really thinking. I was just concerned about Yue and I took that out on you. I'm really sorry."

"Thanks Sokka. That means a lot."

"And don't you worry. Whatever this thing is, whatever's happening with your Waterbending, Team Avatar will get to the bottom of it. Besides, with all those past lives of yours, I'm sure you've faced way tougher things than this, even if you don't remember it."

_ Wait a minute! The past Avatars!_

"Sokka, you're a genius!" A genuine smile crossed Aang's face for the first time in days.

Sokka looked perplexed for a moment then shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I don't know what you're talking about, but I agree with your assessment."

"I can ask the past Avatars if they know anything about this Kaji spirit. Can you bring the firewood back to camp? I need to find somewhere I can meditate."

"Sure, fine." Sokka bent over to start picking up the wood Aang dropped. "But I think this is just an excuse to make me do your job."

Aang made his way to a small clearing by the river. The ground next to the river was wet and muddy, certainly not the Ideal spot to sit down and meditate. Aang planted his feet, shifted his arms and pulled the bedrock up through the earth until he had circular flat slab of rock sticking a few feet above the ground. Another shift of his hands sent the remaining mud up through the air and into the river, with a final blast of air to dry his new meditation surface. Aang was ready.

He sat down, crossed his legs and took in a few long deep breaths.

* * *

With the rhythmic swaying of the wagon as it lightly bounced over the well worn road, sleep came fast.

There was no sense to the dream. The images made no sense, occurred in no order and held no meaning, but the feelings were real. That's all that felt real. The feelings and the emotions were more than just real. They were overwhelming. Like drowning in a violent churning sea made of nothing but raw seething emotions. Hate, rage and malice. Surrounded by them. Consumed by them. Writhing and fighting to escape, but escape was impossible when that's all there was.

No, there was something else. More than just an emotion. There was an idea. A thought. Something to grab onto.

Revenge.

That was it. The one single, solitary idea that existed here. The only thought to grasp onto to keep from falling deeper into this madness. The single driving force binding all these emotions together and giving them direction. It solidified them. It gave them power. I gave them a voice.

_They cannot do this. Leave me like this.  
__A shell  
__A husk.  
A shadow of what I once was._

_I was betrayed.  
Turned on by my own.  
Imprisoned in myself and left to rot.  
Alone.__  
Powerless.  
...__  
Afraid._

_I am free now.__  
Escaped from my prison.__I will have my revenge.  
Against them and all they've created.  
I will not forgive.  
I cannot forgive._

_**This world will burn!  
**  
_

Yu snapped himself awake. He was drenched in cold sweat, his hands were shaking and he was breathing like he'd just been trapped under water. He felt slightly nauseous. He felt unclean, as though he were covered in something sticky, noxious, and terrible. Something deadly and poisonous. Not just for him, but everyone around him. It took him a few moments to steady himself and a few moments more to get past the horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach.

There was pain in his hands. He looked down only to realize he was balling his fists so hard they hurt. He relaxed his hands and tried to stop them from shaking.

As he calmed down and the dream slowly faded a few moments later, he laughed softly to himself.

_Just a bad dream. That's all. That's all it was. Just a dream. Nothing to get worked up about._

Azula was still sound asleep. He must have dozed off shortly after she did. It was dark in the back of the wagon. Slivers of moonlight crept in around the canvas covering the back of the wagon. Growing and shrinking and moving across the floor of the wagon as the canvas swayed with the movement. He wondered for a moment why the merchant hadn't stopped for the night. Had it just gotten dark? Was he planning on riding through the night? Was there an inn he was trying to reach? Yu decided he really didn't care.

Now fully awake and the dream faded, he leaned his head back against the wooden wall of the wagon and drew in a deep cleansing breath. He held it for a few seconds then exhaled slowly. Calmer now, he reached up and pressed his fingers against his temples to help relieve the pain.

His headache was back.

* * *

_**Next: Aang speaks to an Avatar from the Sun Warriors. As the ancient Avatar reveals to Aang what it know of the Kaji, Aang begins to realize the situation may be far more dire than he could have thought.**_


	27. Chapter 26: Legend of the Sun Warriors

**Chapter 26**

_Legend of the Sun Warriors_

Aang wasn't sure if it would work. He had never tried it before, but he didn't have time to question every single one of his past lives separately.

He closed his eyes and concentrated, focused his energy, and activated the Avatar state. He could feel the power well up inside of him, feeling the union of hundreds of spirits link with his own and at that moment could also feel his spirit resonate with all the elements around him. When he spoke, a cacophony of voices spoke in unison with him.

"There is a spirit called Kaji in the physical world: a spirit that I released. If any past Avatar knows anything about it, then please, I need to speak with you."

Aang felt a slight shift in the energies coursing through him. There was a slight tug as he felt an almost imperceptible drop in power from within him. He felt the energy coalesce and take form outside his body. Without needing to open his eyes, he could feel another presence on the pedestal with him. The glow left his arrows and he returned to normal. When he opened his eyes, a glowing blue spirit sat crossed legged in front of him, and despite never having seen him before, Aang knew who he was.

He was an older male. His head was mostly bald except for a long topknot held by a small metal band. He wore a headband around his forehead. Streaks of paint were drawn under each eye, from his nose and down across his cheeks. A small drape of cloth covered his neck and shoulders, and other than two metal rings at the top of his biceps and some cloth covering his forearms, his chest and torso were bare.

"You're Avatar Nam Yen. A firebender from the Sun Warriors."

Nam Yen nodded.

Aang took a second to reflect on when he and Zuko had visited the Sun Warrior's city. He couldn't put into words his sense that the place was strangely familiar. Now he knew why.

"Yes, Aang. I was the first Avatar to come from the Sun Warrior culture," the ancient Avatar stated as a warm smile spread across his spectral face.

"It does this old spirit's heart well to know that you have found my people, and that they still thrive."

Without needing to ask, a flood of information seemed to swirl around in Aang's mind. No answers to his questions emerged- just vague feelings about Nam Yen's presence, as though he were remembering something from a long forgotten dream. Without having to ask, Aang knew that Nam Yen had lived thousands of years ago. For a brief moment, he felt overwhelmed at having such an ancient Avatar sit before him. It put into perspective just how old his own spirit truly was.

Aang took a breath and cleared his mind. He'd called to Nam Yen for a reason. He tried to remain calm as he explained everything, "I think I really messed up. I fought the Fire Lord like I was supposed to. I even found a way to stop him without killing him. But when I did that I released some kind spirit into the world and now I don't know where it is or even anything about it for that matter other than what it's called. All I do know is it's called a Kaji and that it's dangerous. So I really need some help here! Have you fought it before? Do you know what it is?"

By the time Aang finished, he realized that he was almost rambling. He was so frustrated, that if he had hair, he'd be pulling it out right now.

Nam Yen seemed to pay no attention to Aang's growing agitation. He answered Aang calmly. "No young Avatar, I have not fought such a creature. Nor do I believe has any Avatar. If the knowledge I have is true, then they would have ceased existing long before the first Avatar came into being. Though, I must warn you all I can offer is a legend, a myth from my people that was old and almost forgotten, even by my time. What I am about to tell you young Avatar, is the story of how this world was created."

Nam Yen closed his eyes and seemed to draw a deep breath, despite being a spirit and long since past such needs.

"Birth. Life. Death. It is the cycle of all living things. We often consider birth the beginning, and death the end. In truth, there is no end, there is no beginning. There is only the cycle. Energy constantly exchanged between this world and the Spirit world. Brought into this world with every birth, and returned to the spirit world with every death. Like a pond that stagnates without a source of fresh water, so would both worlds suffer without the ebb and flow of energy between them."

Nam Yen paused. Aang shrugged. "Well, Ok. That's great, but what does any of this have to do with this Kaji thing?"

Nam Yen tilted his head forward with a slight smile. "Because, if I am to tell you _how_ this world was created, you must know _why_ it was created. You see, in the beginning, the spirit world and the physical world were one and the same, a singular world inhabited by great and powerful beings. Though, despite their strength and spiritual power, they could not stop the slow and steady decay of their world. Without the replenishing cycle, their world was dying around them. So, in their wisdom, they devised a way to save their own world by creating a new one."

"The physical and spiritual properties of their world were separated, and put into two different planes of existence. To do this, they used their vast power to infuse the physical elements of their world with spiritual energy, giving them life and purpose. Once that was accomplished, these elemental spirits traveled across the barrier and began the monumental task of forging the physical world. The first to come were the Tenkuu, the air spirits. They pierced the barrier and created a great void for the water spirits, the Mizu, to pour themselves into. Once the world was a great and vast ocean the Chikyuu, spirits of rock and earth, dove into its waves until massive continents rose above its surface. The final spirits to cross through the barrier were the fire spirits."

"The Kaji," Aang said as he felt a knot twist in his stomach.

"Yes Aang. The Kaji filled the world with an ever burning fire, as well as the spark of life."

Nam Yen stopped and took a long look at Aang. The young Airbender looked back expectantly.

"I am sorry Aang, but that is all there is."

"What? What do you mean that's all there is? You don't know anything more about it?"

"All I can add is that the Kaji are supposed to be extinct. Along with the rest of the elemental spirits. When they created this world, they sacrificed themselves to bind the elements to this world. Their remaining energy still exists, but only as the spiritual connection that allows us, and other living creatures, to bend the elements. As I've said, Aang, this is only a myth. Though all myths carry with them a grain of truth, and if there is an elemental spirit loose in the world, then this myth may carry more truth to it than most."

Aang slumped back on his elbows and let out a frustrated sigh. After a moment of agitated pondering, he sat back up.

"Ok, if you don't know anything more about these Kaji, than can you tell me anything about these other beings you talked about? The ones that made them. Could they still be around somewhere, maybe in some ancient part of the spiritworld?"

"I do know what they are, but I also know they can only be found if they wish to be found. Such as the one that sought you out."

Aang was taken aback by this and for a moment couldn't fathom what Nam Yen meant. Then the spark lit in the back of his mind.

"The Lion Turtle?"

"Yes, Aang. According to our legends, the first world belonged to them. They numbered in the tens of thousands, if not more. Now only a few remain. You are one of the first humans in centuries to have seen one."

"What happened to the rest of them?"

"In order to imbue the elements with life, the lion turtles had to sacrifice their own. The same was required for the vast energies needed to bind our two worlds. By the time their monumental task was completed, only a handful remained."

Aang dropped any more questions about the lion turtles. Their involvement made this even more confusing. It knew where to find Aang. It knew where to leave him to intercept Ozai's fleet. If they created these Kaji things, then did it also know that this might happen? If so, why? Was it some kind of evil lion turtle that had tricked Aang into releasing this Kaji thing? It was all too much to think about right now. Aang turned back to the task at hand.

"So, if this Kaji really is one of these spirits. What does it want?"

"Anything I could tell you would be mere speculation. Though, I would warn you young Avatar. If the spirit you now deal with truly is one of the primordial elemental spirits, then you must be very careful with how you proceed. This is a being that helped in the creation of this world, and as such, it may be capable of destroying it."

Nam Yen faded into wisps of smoke. It curled around Aang as the spirit pulled back into his body. There was a slight sensation of warmth, then nothing but the cool night air on his skin. He stretched his legs out in front of him and leaned backward, resting on his elbows and looking up at the star spattered night sky.

_Koh was wrong. __This thing isn't ancient. __It's even older than that._

Before he could contemplate the conversation he'd just had any further, a rustling from the trees behind him caught his attention.

"Hey, Aang," he jumped to his feet at the sound of Katara's voice. "Sokka said you were out here doing something 'spirity,' as he put it. I didn't want to interrupt, but you've been out here for a while. Everything all right?"

"Not really," Aang said as he walked over and grabbed her hand. "Come on. Let's head back. I've got something I need to tell everyone."

# # # # # #

"Geez, Twinkletoes, when you screw up you don't mess around."

"Toph!" Katara jumped to his defense. "It's not his fault. No one could have foreseen this."

"Well maybe if he wasn't such a namby pamby and just took the Fire Lord out like he was supposed to instead of getting all fancy with the weird bending..."

"Toph. that's enough. Stop trying to blame this all on Aang."

"No Katara, she's right. This is my fault."

"Ok, ok. Everyone just calm down," Sokka stood up waving his arms above the fire. "We've got to think about this rationally. It's not gonna do us any good to start fighting amongst ourselves."

Sokka's words seemed to do the trick. The bickering stopped. Katara sat back down next to Aang and Toph just plopped herself down on the dirt with a dismissive, "Yeah, whatever."

"Alright, that's better. Aang..." Sokka turned to him. Aang looked up, "...we're still heading for the Spirit Oasis at the Northern Water Tribe, right?"

"Yeah. I still don't know what connection the Moon Spirit has to all this, but it's still the only real lead I've got. I also want to see if everyone else's waterbending is as affected as Katara and mine are."

"Alright, good. Then we have a plan and we stick to it. Now, I think we could all use some sleep. The earlier we get up in the morning, the quicker we can be on our way."

Everyone broke away from the fire. Toph went to her rock shelter. Sokka went to his. Toph had made two more: one for Katara and another for Aang, but he didn't feel like sleeping in it. Aang made an air assisted jump up onto Appa's saddle and spread out his sleeping roll.

"Hey, room for two up there?" he heard Katara's voice shout from down below. He looked over Appa's saddle and down at Katara. With a wave of his hand the ground cracked beneath her feet and a pillar of rock slowly lifted her to Aang's level.

She grabbed his hand and hopped off, the pillar of earth receding after she left it. The two of them sat back in Appa's saddle. Neither of them said anything for a few moments. They just sat in silence, looking up at the stars.

When Katara spoke, she did so without breaking her gaze from the heavens above them. "I remember when I was young, and all the men left our tribe to join the war. No one talked about it, the other women, the elders, even Gran Gran, but you could feel it all the same. You could see it in their eyes. That sense of hopelessness. Like nothing would ever be right ever again."

Her hand moved on top of Aang's and their fingers curled around one another. She turned from the stars and looked into his eyes. "Well, no matter how bad it got, I never gave up hope. Not in any of the days before we found you, and certainly not in any of the days after. So if you ever start doubting yourself again, just remember, I believe in you, even when you don't."

She leaned over and kissed him, then stood up. "I should head back to my tent. Sokka was giving me an odd look when he saw me come this way."

Aang was left alone, still starring up at the stars, but this time with a slight smile on his face. He looked up at the moon. In another two nights it would be full. He hoped that maybe he could contact Yue.

He mulled over the situation a bit more as he started to drift off to sleep. He thought of Nam Yens story. He thought of the Kaji, and tried to imagine the kind of horrors such a spirit could visit upon the world.

# # # # #

"Ow ow ow ow!" Yu hopped in a circle, holding his left foot in his hand. Azula paid him little attention as she walked past him toward the wagon's owner.

"I stubbed my toe," Yu offered.

"I didn't ask," Azula responded without looking back.

"But you looked so concerned."

"I can assure you, I'm not."

Azula started speaking to the old man who had been giving them a ride while Yu continued to tend his foot. It was only a moment after jumping from the back of the wagon that he'd walked right into a rock sticking up from the ground, his colorful expletives drawing attention from the other merchants around the trading post.

They'd stopped only a few minutes ago. It was well after dark but the merchant apparently wanted to reach this place before stopping for the night. There was only one permanent building at the crossroads: an inn, or at least what qualified for one. Every other establishment was temporary. Mostly wagons, tents, and booths set up along the road they now traveled.

"Alright," Azula caught his attention as she returned. "I've made us a bit of a deal. I get a room for the night, you get the wagon, and you get to unload it in the morning to help pay for our debt."

"Gee, how could I pass that up?"

"And, after unloading the wagon, he's offered to pay us if you help him load what he needs for the next town."

"I notice you keep using this 'us' when I'm the one doing all the work."

"Yes, I noticed that too," Azula smiled and turned around.

"Well, enjoy the wagon. I'll see you in the morning," she said over her shoulder as she walked away.

She entered the long, narrow, single floor building. The building truly only qualified as an "inn" in the loosest of terms. Azula was almost positive that this had once been nothing more than an animal pen. The "rooms" being nothing more than the old stalls with wall and door erected on the front to accommodate the illusion of privacy. She opened the door with a crude numeral three scratched into the door by a tool obviously not meant for the job. If she had any suspicions to this once being an animal pen, they were confirmed the moment she opened the door.

The room was only slightly wider than the door and about two feet longer than the lumpy straw filled mattress that lay directly on the dirt floor. Next to it was a small pit filled with ash. A blackened metal pot missing its handle sat next to it. In the opposite corner from the mattress sat two buckets. One was a wash bucket that she could use in the "bath house" out back. The other, well, she didn't want to dwell to long on what the other bucket was for. Suffice it to say, she would make absolutely sure to not mix the two up.

Disgusted, she stepped in and closed the door behind her. She lit the oil lantern hanging on the wall and leaned over to grab the wash bucket.

Well, it was (marginally) better than the wagon, but she still had a feeling it was going to be a rough night.

She had no idea how right she was.


	28. Chapter 27: The Trading Post

**Chapter 27**

_The Trading Post_

Azula had been standing behind the inn, staring at the small shack marked as a bath house, for the last few minutes. If she hadn't felt so completely filthy, to the point that her clothes wear actually beginning to itch, she would have turned around and headed back to her "room". Even that thought made her cringe.

She was a princess. And here she was, being forced to endure this humiliation. This wasn't the same as playing subservient to Long Feng, or dressing up in those ridiculous Kyoshi warrior outfits.

Those situations had been different. Sure, she was playing a role far beneath her station, but it was just that. Playing a role.

In that respect, it had been tolerable. Heck, it had even been fun. Playing the game, moving the pieces, bending them all to her will. All part of the plan. All of it, her choice.

But this...

This was because she _had_ no other choice.

Back at the palace, she had seven baths to choose from. Two in lavish outdoor gardens. Three more inside the palace, including one specifically set up just for washing hair. Another smaller one adjacent to her bedroom for her private use, and finally the Grand Royal Bathhouse. Big enough that it doubled as a swimming pool for the royal family.

Servants waited at a moment's notice to cater to her every whim. If her hair needed washing and grooming, there were six servant girls dedicated specifically to that task.

And now here she stood, facing this building barely fit to be called an outhouse so that she could clean herself with murky water diverted in from the nearby river.

She gritted her teeth and seethed. Her hand wrapped tightly around the edge of the bucket. She swung it above her head, holding it so tight that her fingernails pressed into the wood. She wanted to smash it against the side of the building, but she couldn't. She stood, frozen in position, her heart racing, her whole body practically trembling with rage.

Her hand clamped the bucket so hard it actually hurt.

The only thing holding it all back was knowing that, if she started, if she let it take her, she wouldn't be able to stop. She wouldn't give up the one thing she had left.

Control.

Or at least what little she had left. Even that seemed to be pulling away from her day by day. Moment by moment, thought by thought.

That was why she'd lost to Zuko. That was why she was here.

Her stark white knuckles, clenching the bucket like a vice, slowly relaxed. She felt her hand tingle and throb as the blood rushed back in. Slowly, she lowered her trembling hand.

She hadn't given in to it, but she was no less angry. It felt like a parasite, eating her from the inside out. A sickness that had no cure. At least not one she knew about.

Her heart was racing. Her breath coming in quick, heavy gasps. She needed to do something: purge herself of this, but what, how?

She threw the door open and slammed it shut behind. Locking it.

She glanced around. The inside was no more glamorous than the outside. A small pool of water collected in a rock lined basin in the corner. A wooden grate in the middle of the floor let the water flow out. The water supplied to the basin ran in from a small bamboo pipe connected to a creek just behind the bath shack in the woods. The water looked clean. There wasn't anything swimming in it at least. On the wall to her right were two wooden boxes built into the walls. Above one was a sign marked "clean", the other "dirty".

If she was looking for a way to calm herself, this wasn't helping. This place was an insult. The fact that she was actually using it, even more so. She felt it wash over her again, the rage building inside her.

It would feel so good to give into it...

_ No. I won't, I can't._

It threatened to overwhelm her. She needed to do _something_.

Attack something.

Destroy something.

_Aaaahhh!_

She threw the bucket aside, dropped to the ground, and started doing pushups as fast as she could.

Would this work? Would exhausting herself make this go away?

She didn't know, but she had to do..._something?_

She was at fifty before she even felt a slight burn in her arms. At sixty, the first drop of sweat ran down her forehead, collected at the tip of her nose and dripped to the floor.

...62, 63, 64...

The rhythm of the exercise was so mechanical, so practiced, that her mind began to wander even as she kept count.

_How did I end up like this__?__ I__t wasn't supp__os__ed to be this way__._

…76, 77, 78...

_Zuko! __If I had only dealt with you back in Ba Sing Se. __Once my fight with the Avatar was over, once I no longer needed your help._

...88, 89...

_ That's where I went wrong. That was my first mistake._

...100, 101, 102...

_I was a fool. __I should have put him in shackles like __U__ncle. __But no. __I brought him back, even lied to father..._

Her arms gave out even as her mind wandered into places she'd rather it not. She collapsed on the floor, breathing hard, covered in sweat.

She rolled onto her back and lifted a trembling arm to her head and rubbed her eyes. Why was she even thinking about this at all? The past didn't matter now. She should be thinking about what lies ahead. Not the past. Not her mistake...

_...all because he chose me over them._

A new surge of anger rushed in to replace the old as her thoughts wandered into unwanted places. She rolled to her knees buried her face in the pool of water and screamed as loud as she could. Only a faint muffled whine escaped through the churning bubbles surrounding her head. She pulled her face out, took a deep breath, then dunked it and screamed again.

The bubbles slowed to a trickle, the barely audible high pitched gurgle faded entirely.

Completely out of breath, she ripped her face from the water and rolled away. Her legs sprawled out in front of her as she collapsed against the wall, exhausted.

_I'm tired. I'm not thinking clearly. I didn't bring Zuko back because I wanted to. _

_ No._

_I needed someone to take the fall in case the Avatar was alive. That's all it was... That's all._

Her hair, face and clothes were now soaked with a combination of cold water and sweat.

It made ignoring the tears easier.

Once she'd gathered herself. She pushed herself off the floor and focused her attention on the two small waste basket sized boxes attached to the wall in the opposite corner from the pool of water. There was a sign marked "clean' above one, and "dirty" above the other. Inside each were bundles of ratty old towels. After looking in the "clean" box and cringing, she opened the "dirty" box to make sure they weren't mislabeled. There didn't seem to be any difference. With a disgusted sigh, she pulled a towel out of the "clean" box, pinched between her thumb and forefinger, and set it on the stool crammed into (and nailed to) the corner.

She pulled off her wet clothes, wringed them out as well as she could, and then proceeded to wash herself. Once she'd done what she could with nothing but cold water, she turned around to grab the towel off the stool.

Only to find someone already sitting there.

She jumped back, her heart skipping a beat, and prepared to fight before she realized who it was.

Ursa held out the towel for Azula to take.

Azula straightened up, calmed her breathing and snatched the towel from her mother's hand then quickly covered herself with it.

"You won't even let me bathe in peace!?"

"It must be hard on you," Ursa said. Azula got the feeling she wasn't referring to her modesty. Azula turned away and began drying herself. She didn't pursue her mother's question; she didn't care. All she wanted to do now was get dressed and leave.

Ursa continued, regardless.

"Having to picture it in your head, again and again. Constantly running through the scenarios. Seeing him die in your mind over and over with every new plan. Can you really do this, Azula? Can you really kill your older brother in cold blood?"

So, that's what this was about. Of course. Always protecting Zuko.

"That almost sounds like a challenge. One I'll be happy to except. And, once I'm done with Zuko, maybe I'll move onto the rest. Everyone who turned against me, everyone that betrayed me. I won't let it happen again. And I won't let you stop me."

When Azula turned around, her mother was gone. She grabbed her clothes, dressed and unlocked the door. Grabbing the bucket, she stepped out into the night. A cold breeze caressed her skin, sending a shiver down her spine. She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. She stood there for a few moments, just breathing, letting the air flow in and out, concentrating on it. Not entirely sure of what she was trying to do.

Meditation?

Well, something like that. Though, there was nothing peaceful about it. Nothing relaxing. It felt more like a battle. It felt like something deep inside of her was struggling to get out. Tear its way into her mind and control her for its own purpose.

That seething boiling rage hadn't left. Not by a long shot. She was just too tired to act on it right now.

Though she wasn't sure if that made the situation better or worse.

She wasn't sure of a lot of things anymore.

Her legs suddenly buckled underneath her. She stumbled forward, fell to her knees and caught herself before falling face first into the grass. The bucket rolled away and came to rest a few feet in front of her.

She'd almost fallen asleep standing up.

How many days had it been since she'd actually had a full nights rest? A few hours here and there, sure, but even then, nothing peaceful. The dreams almost left her feeling more exhausted than when she'd fallen asleep.

The last few days had been bad, but now she was at her absolute limit. Her body threatened to shut down if she kept going much longer. Pushing herself back to her feet was a workout in itself.

She was severely regretting the push-ups at this point.

Her eyes were having trouble focusing, and her legs felt like rubber. Even leaning down to pick up the bucket felt like a monumental task.

She made it back to her room, yanked open the door and dragged herself inside. Closing the door, she turned and made for the bed, but tripped over something with her first step.

She tumbled forward. The bucket hit the ground in front of her, right were her head was heading. A sharp pain shot through her left temple. Her hand flew to her head. The pain was intense. She half expected her hand to come away covered in blood, but before she could examine it, she was distracted by something else.

The thing she had tripped over.

_What the..._

There, lying face down just inside the doorway, was the body of a young girl.

She was now fully awake, her strength fully returned and her heart racing, the pain in her head, gone.

What's more, she recognized this girl. She'd been a servant, one who'd made the grave mistake of leaving pits in her cherries on the day of her coronation, probably hoping she'd choke.

But what had happened to her? And what was she doing here of all places? Azula had had her banished, so what was she doing back in the palace?

Was this some kind of message... a threat perhaps?

If so, from who?

She heard something out in the hallway.

Laughter.

She jumped over the body and wrapped her finger around the handle of the large intricately carved gold inlay door that led out of the princess's bedroom. She yanked it open. The door slammed into the wall, sending an echo reverberating down the palace hallway.

Littering the hallway where dozens more bodies, stretching out into the darkness. The torch lights flickered across the bodies. They almost seemed to move as the shadows rippled and played across them.

In fact, Azula waited a few moments, examining what she saw before her, to make sure they weren't.

She stepped into the hall, moving cautiously, nervously. As she moved down the hall, stepping around and over the bodies strewn about like dirty laundry, a disturbing realization came to her (as though this wasn't already disturbing enough.)

She knew these people. All of them.

Dai Li agents, more servants, personal guards. Every one of them, without exception, had been banished from the palace, by her.

"Don't mind the mess..."

She heard her own voice from behind her.

_You again._

She spun to face herself. Fully expecting to see her Other, just as she'd appeared to her over the last few days. Gold trimmed black armor. Perfect hair. Perfect makeup. The epitome of royalty, as perfect as Azula had...

Azula almost tumbled backward when she saw the form before her.

This wasn't her. This... thing! This was nothing more than a twisted caricature. Strands of hair jutted in odd directions, barely held back by a badly tied red ribbon. Her bangs, cut crooked, fell in front of her wide and wild eyes. She wore an unusually wide and crooked smile. She stood, listless and limp, like a puppet with its strings cut. And when she moved, it only accentuated those traits.

"...I've just been tidying up a bit," her twisted double said before breaking into a bought of manic laughter.

Scattered around her feet were even more bodies. Ones Azula hadn't noticed before. The Watertribe girl and her brother. The blind earthbender, the Kyoshi warrior she'd once held as prisoner. Mai, Ty Lee, even the Avatar.

"I've come to realize that banishment is too lenient. This is a much better solution. Don't you think?"

She smiled so wide it threatened to cut her face in two. She made a wild swinging motion with her hands towards all the bodies gathered around her.

"Just look around. Not much in condition for betrayal, are they?"

She stopped all of a sudden and glared at Azula with a frightening intensity. Her Other made a quick motion with one hand. Something flashed passed Azula's face. She felt air move across her cheek. There was a sound behind her. A thump, then a groan, followed by another thump.

Azula turned around to see another body lying on the ground. Yu, sprawled out with a knife in his chest.

"Ah, a tricky one, that one. Fire doesn't work," the voice floated over her shoulder.

A hand slipped over her shoulder, a head came to rest on the other.

"Now, if we can get them _before_ they can turn on you..."

Azula jerked herself away.

"Enough of this little game. Where is he," she scanned over the bodies again. There was someone missing. The only one she cared about.

"Oh, that one. His betrayal stung the most, didn't it? Is that who you're looking for?"

"Spare me the melodrama and just tell me where he is," Azula demanded.

The twisted caricature of her nodded toward a large set of doors that Azula hadn't noticed before, but she recognized the doors as soon as she did. The throne room.

"Through there," her double said, "Where else would he be?"

Azula took a step toward the doors, taking one last lingering glance at her deranged double. She was glad to get away from her. There was something unnerving about how disturbingly familiar she felt.

She turned to open the door when everything around her was suddenly bathed in a cool blue glow. She spun on her heels to see the Avatar rising from the ground. His arrows and eyes were glowing blue.

Before she could even react, a blinding flash of white light exploded around him. The Avatar fell from the air and hit the ground, a corpse once more. Behind him, stood Azula, two fingers outstretched, a twisting trail of smoke rising up from them. The distinct smell of discharged lightning lingered in the air.

"You have to be careful with that one," her voice tittered with barely restrained laughter, "He keeps forgetting we killed him."

She burst into that dreadful manic laughter once again then motioned Azula toward the door, "Go on. Go on. Take care of that one. I saved him for you, after all."

Azula turned away and yanked the door open, slipped inside and pulled it closed behind her.

It was almost pitch black in the throne room. The fire burning in front of the throne seemed to only illuminate itself and nothing around it. She couldn't even see the floor beneath her feet, though, oddly enough, her own body seemed perfectly visible.

A silhouette sat in front of the flames. She couldn't make out any of its features save for one. The crown resting in the topknot upon his head. She'd recognize it anywhere. It had been her father's, and it had almost been hers. She felt the bile raise up in the back of her throat when she thought of whose head it rested on now.

The form in front of the flames didn't move. He obviously hadn't noticed her yet.

Good. That will make this easier.

She approached slowly. With every step forward her heartbeat increased. She had to keep herself from running as her desire for revenge threatened to overwhelm her. This was it.

A few more feet. Almost there. Almost...

His voice filled the throne room like the booming of a war drum.

"What is the meaning of this, Azula!"

She stopped dead in her tracks.

This wasn't Zuko.

The silhouette rose up in front of the flames. As he stood, the blackness washed away from him. Ozai stood, towering above her. As menacing and imposing a presence as he'd always had.

"I asked you a question. If you know what's best for you, you will explain yourself quickly," his voice shook the halls. The ground quaked under his foot as he took a step toward her.

Azula dropped to one knee. Her whole body shook. Her eyes, wide with fear, remained fixated on ground where her father's boots stepped into her field of vision.

"Why have you betrayed me, Azula!?"

"Father. Please, I didn't. I would never betray you."

Fingers wrapped tightly around her throat. With a jerk of his hand, Azula was pulled upright. Ozai pulled her close, only inches from his own face. His eyes burned into her very spirit.

"But you have betrayed me. At this very moment, I sit in a Fire Nation prison, hands chained, dressed in rags, rats my only attendants. The years I spent training you, doing everything in my power to make you strong. To make you worthy of being called my daughter. And you couldn't even beat _him!_You have betrayed me, Azula, because you have failed me."

He released her and she fell to the ground, gasping for breath. Ozai stood above her, staring down in disgust.

"I suppose I'm partially to blame. How could I have put my faith in someone as weak as you!"

"I am not weak," Azula was able to spit out between breaths.

He leaned down over her, hissing into her ear, "Then why does Zuko sit on the throne I handed to you?"

He took a few steps back from his daughter and pointed behind him. It was the first time Azula noticed the other two people in the room. A woman and a child, both of them kneeling, eyes closed, hands bound and mouths gagged, as though awaiting execution. Like all the bodies littering the hallway just outside, she recognized these two.

Her mother, and herself.

"If you're not weak, then why do you still carry these with you?"

"I... I don't understand father. What..."

Ozai yanked her in front of him and grabbed her wrist. He held it tight, forcing her hand toward her mother and the child. Through no effort of her own, a flame burst to life in her hand. Azula felt it's warmth on her palm, felt its power coursing from within her own body.

Ursa opened her eyes. The look on her face pleaded to Azula.

_Don't do it Azula. _She could hear her mother, feel her thoughts. Though this wasn't a plea for her own life, but a plea for her daughter's. Azula's hand wavered, lowering slightly as the flame flickered.

"What are you waiting for, Azula? Eliminate them." His hand squeezed tighter around her wrist, pulling her arm straight and directing back at the woman and child. "Severe the ties that hold you back. Cut the bonds that make you weak."

A knot twisted in her stomach.

Yes. She had to do this.

No. How could she? Her own mother...

But what choice did she have? If this was father's will, if this was what it took...

"Why do you hesitate?" His fingers sunk into her arm. Azula no longer had any control over it. Her hand opened wide, the flame jumped to life.

Azula was no longer in control of her own actions. Seven worse, she could feel him invading her thoughts. Her intentions and desires meant nothing. She was a tool for his will and nothing more.

The fire erupted from her hand, rolling towards her mother and the child. Ursa turned away and covered the little girl. Azula heard herself scream...

There was a knock at the door. Azula forced her eyes open. She was lying on the ground, her left temple was throbbing. She rolled over, momentarily unable to remember where she was. Another sharp pain shot down from the left side of her forehead. She reached her hand up to find a trail of dried blood flaking off the side of her face.

The wash bucket lay on the ground next to her, a small streak of brown visible on its edge. More dried blood.

More pounding on the door.

"Hey, are you alright?" yelled Yu from the other side of the door. Sunlight crept in around the wood slats. She had no Idea how late it was or how long she'd been out.

"Have you finished with that wagon yet?" she yelled at the door.

The was a pause before he answered. Azula wondered for a moment if her voice sounded as weak as she felt.

"Uh, no. I've unloaded everything, but I thought..."

"Then stop wasting time bothering me. I want to leave as soon as possible."

She could hear him sigh audibly through the door then shuffle away mumbling to himself.

# # # # # #

While Yu certainly didn't know how to fight, it apparently wasn't from lack of strength. He'd gotten the wagon loaded rather quickly and was now going back for the final load. Azula leaned against the side wagon and waited.

Yu nodded as he passed in front of her with his last load, a few bags of rice thrown over each shoulder, and disappeared around the back of the wagon. The wagon shifted and rocked against Azula's back as it shifted under the weight being tossed into it, causing her long hair to fall across her face and eyes.

She'd left it down this morning for two reasons. It helped hide her face from the locals, and the cut on her head from Yu. She didn't want to have to explain it. Especially since she wasn't entirely sure what had happened.

Of course, if her plan was to not get noticed, it was failing miserably. A petite young girl with long dark brown hair just waiting around leaning against a wagon is bound to draw attention from most of the men at the trading post (and probably a few woman as well.)

It wasn't long until some, stumbling slightly and possibly more than a little drunk, approached her.

Azula stood and waited, starring at the ground in front of her. A pair of feet shuffled their way into her field of vision. When it became obvious that they weren't going to move, Azula looked up.

A tall, overweight man smiled at her with a gap-toothed grin. Azula sighed, disgusted at his attention, and looked back down.

"So, what's a good looking young girl like you doin' 'round here?"

Azula said nothing. The wagon behind her shifted again, more than it had before. Yu must have just jumped into it to stack the bags. When the drunk didn't get a response, he tried again.

"How about you and me head over to the inn and..."

"If your plan is to make me vomit on your mismatched shoes, then you're dangerously close to achieving that goal. On the other hand, if you have anything else in mind then I recommend you move along, and quickly."

"You talk pretty big for such a pretty girl. That's ok, I like 'em tough. How about..."

Azula tilted her head up, the murderous look in her eyes stopping him mid-sentence.

"Perhaps I'm not making myself clear. I'll try again with smaller words. If you don't turn around and leave immediately after I finish this sentence, I will be forced to destroy some of your more sensitive parts and whatever future plans you may have had for them."

He hesitated for a second. About half a dozen people were now fully focused on these two and the drunk seemed aware of it. He took a nervous step back. Then, realizing he was being watched by a handful of onlookers, decided to throw out a dismissive "Bitch!" in a desperate attempt to save face before turning to leave.

Azula gave no reaction. She'd been called worse. Besides, she wasn't about to make a scene just because of some commoner's petty insult. She lowered her head, keeping his feet in view just to make sure he was leaving. Then, just as his second foot started to pivot, there was a solid meaty thud!

Azula looked up to see her would-be wooer reel back a few steps than tumble to the ground like a felled tree trunk. A smelly, dumb, ill-mannered tree trunk.

_What the..._

Standing just in front of her now unconscious admirer, Yu was hopping in a circle. His left hand clenched over his right as he issued forth a rather colorful stream of expletives ending with...

"Ow ow ow ow!"

It took Azula a second to realize what had just happened.

She let out an exasperated sigh and buried her face in her hands. A small crowd was already starting to gather around the scene. Azula quickly walked around the dazed pile of oaf and grabbed Yu by the front of his shirt.

"Wagon. Now!"

She didn't even give him a chance to react before she started yanking him toward their transport. Some muffled snickering arose from the steady mumble of the quickly gathering gawkers.

"Hey, wait a sec. Just..."

Azula spun around and grabbed him around the collar with both hands and pulled his face close to hers.

"You want to wait! Fine. Once he gets up," she nodded at the groaning man struggling to roll over behind him, "it's _your_ fight, got it? I'll be on the Wagon. Good luck."

Yu, still holding his injured hand, looked back over his shoulder. The big man was lying on his stomach and trying to push himself off the ground. Though not entirely coherent, the words Yu could make out weren't very pleasant. He looked back at Azula.

"We should probably get in the wagon," he nodded.

She flashed a curt smile, which bore a striking resemblance to an animal bearing its teeth, then turned and jumped on the wagon.

"You kids ready back there?" the old man's head peaked around the front of the wagon, apparently oblivious to the entire ordeal.

"Yes, we certainly are," Azula responded without looking at him. Her steely gaze still fixed on Yu. He climbed into the back as quickly as he could without the use of one hand. The wagon started moving soon after. By the time they rounded a bend in the road, the man made it to his feet, spun around to look for Yu, and then fell over again. It was the last thing Yu saw before the trading post disappeared behind a bend in the road.

At least he didn't seem in any condition to pursue. Yu leaned back against the side of the wagon. Across from him, Azula sat with her arms crossed, her eyes boring into him.

"Care to explain what _that_ was all about?"

"I don't know. It just, kind of happened."

"Just happened? Explain to me, in detail, how something like that 'just happens'? Have I not made it perfectly clear that I don't want any undue attention. So what could have possibly possessed you to attack some random stranger like that?"

He shrugged his shoulders than looked back at her.

"I..." he stopped, frustrated, not really sure how to put it in words.

"Yes?" Azula demanded.

"I just finished loading and I was walking back when I heard him call you... _that_. And then, 'pow' I just hit him."

Azula starred for a long moment, perplexed.

"Well, that's stupid. If I cared about what he called me, I would have done something about it myself."

"It's not like I thought about it." He looked over his hand, slowly opening and closing it the best he could while gently probing his swelling fingers.

"Like I said, it just sort of happened. OW!" He pulled his hand away, apparently hitting something sensitive. "Man, faces are a lot harder than they look."

Azula looked at him, then his hand.

"You broke it, didn't you?"

"No, I don't think so. Everything kind of moves. Just sprained."

_Good. __At least he wouldn't become more of a burden than he already was._

She looked away and watched the road slowly appear from under the wagon and move away.

"I guess I was wrong about you then," she sighed.

"About what?" he asked.

"You are as much of an idiot as you let on."

- - - - -

By the next morning his hand still hurt, but at least the swelling had gone down. True to his word, the old man paid Yu for his help and had dropped them off as close to Yenrai as he was going to get. The only thing standing between them and the city was a long winding foot path through the mountains.

"Don't worry. Just stay on the right path whenever you come to a fork, and you should be in the city by mid-afternoon," the merchant explained before saying farewell.

Azula was already headed up the path as Yu thanked him for the ride and money. Once he said goodbye, he had to run to catch up with Azula. He didn't know what was so important about Yenrai, but at least they were almost there.

- - - - -

Sokka scanned over their dwindling supplies, then turned his attention back to his map. They sure wouldn't make it all the way to the North Pole with what they had. That left only one option.

Shopping!

Sokka peered over the side of Appa's saddle, then back at the map, trying to get a fix for where they were. He knew they'd just passed about thirty miles east of Makapu early yesterday. Even from that distance he could still see the lava formations left from Aang saving the village after that crazy old fortuneteller had almost let it get buried by the erupting volcano.

He traced his finger over the map, making a general guess of their current location.

Aha! Perfect.

"Hey Aang, you were gonna stop and try to talk to Yue at the full moon tonight, right?"

"Yeah, that was the plan. Why?"

"Well, if we have to stop anyway, why don't we pick up a few things along the way? There's a good sized town just northwest of here. I figure we can stop there, get what we need, and you can do your spirit thing outside of town once it gets dark."

Aang didn't see any problem with that.

"OK, sure. Where we headed?"

Sokka turned the map around and pointed it out to Aang.

"This place right here."

Aang turned around and, with a 'yip yip' and a snap of Appa's reigns, turned the sky bison toward the Earth Kingdom city of Yenrai.


	29. Chapter 28: Crossing Paths

**Chapter 28**

Crossing Paths

Yu walked into the city alone. Azula had stayed back in the mountains. Telling him that she'd wanted to look around places to stay.

_We're not staying in the city?_ he'd asked.

_If they were looking for us in the last town, there's a good chance they'll be doing so here too__. _She said.

Azula couldn't have known that the poster in Shenjing was actually little more than a fluke. A returning fisherman had posted it only because it had been handed to him at a port in the Fire Nation. He was barely literate and had actually thought it was a flyer for a play. It only ended up on the board because he didn't feel like carrying it around with him anymore.

Also, given her own overwhelming sense of self importance, there was simply no way she could imagine that the whole world _wasn't_ in an uproar in regards to her escape. The truth of the matter was that very few people in the Earth Kingdom could have cared less. The military was more concerned with roving bands of Fire Nation soldiers still littered about. Most of the peasantry was too busy rebuilding their towns and cities, as well as trying to reunite with family members pulled away by the war. In reality, except for a select few people, there was virtually no word or interest circulating about Azula's escape.

Not that any of that really mattered. She hadn't come here for the city, but instead its surrounding topography. While Yu was out of her hair doing errands, she could scout around and start making plans for her reunion with her dear brother.

It was a big city. If he wasn't careful, it would be fairly easy to get lost, though he had one major advantage. There was an earthbending academy near the gate he'd come in. He could feel it even know. Twenty three earthbenders gathered together. A few coming and going at regular intervals. That didn't include the three earthbenders at the gate.

He could sense benders all around the city, which should have struck him as a bit odd _if_ he'd been thinking about it. In fact, when he'd first sensed Azula, he was only able to do it at very close range. As the days wore on, that changed. In the last town they'd visited, he was only able to find her again because he could sense her from half the town away.

Now, it was no task whatsoever to pick out the position of every single bender in the entire city. At the moment though, it felt like nothing more than background noise. Just something to filter out while he pondered what was currently troubling him.

Had he not been ignoring it, he may very well have taken notice of the odd collection of benders entering the city from the East. His senses would have picked out two waterbenders, two earthbenders, one strong firebender, and an airbender.

- - - - (maybe break these two sections up?)

Aang pulled the hood of his cloak a bit further down on his head, making sure it covered his arrow.

"Ugh! This thing stinks," he mumbled under his breath.

"Sokka, wasn't it your job to wash these last?" Katara asked, taking a few steps away from Aang and his cloak.

"Hey, don't blame me. I didn't think we'd ever need these again once the invasion was over," Sokka said while trying to keep his distance from Aang. The cloaks they'd been wearing while sneaking about the Fire Nation had been sitting in a bag on the back of Appa's saddle for months now. It reeked of stale sweat and mildew.

"You still should have washed them."

"You know," Toph groaned and pinched her nose shut, her voice came out deep and nasaly, "it's not just my sense of hearing that's more sensitive than yours. I think I'm gonna throw up."

"Alright, Toph, Sokka, back up." Katara started waving her hands at a trough full of water.

"Hey, Katara, what are you..." Aang started to ask before getting hit with a blast of water. Momo jumped off his shoulder and took flight just as it hit him. It swirled around him, engulfing everything but his head, then even that. The water swirled away, then back into the trough.

What water was left was blast away with a strong gust of air. The cloak billowed into the air, threatening to fly off, before settling back down on his shoulder.

"There, much better," Katara smiled.

"You could a warned me, at least," Aang said as Momo landed back on his shoulder and licked a few drops of left behind water off the side of his face.

"Hey, you're clean, aren't you?" Katara joked, "Consider this the price you pay for being famous. If you go wandering around the market with your arrows showing, we'll get mobbed. Then who knows how long this'll take."

"Ok, now that twinkletoes smells all pretty, let's get going," she said, hurrying off down the road.

"Uh, Toph?" Sokka spoke up. "How do you know the market's that way?"

"Cause that's were the most vibrations are coming from. Meaning that's were all the people are, genius."

- - - -

Yu looked back and forth between the various vendors lining the streets. His eyes glanced over them, not paying attention to what wares and services they offered up, marching forward, cutting between groups of civilians, hardly even noticing them. To any bystander, he looked like a man with a mission, heading with purpose toward an important destination.

And they would be wrong.

Yu had almost forgotten why he was even here. Completely lost in thought, his furious pace was nothing more than a side effect of his building anxiety.

Weeks ago, he only had one concern: finding out who and what he was. Odd as it may seem, it was now the last thing on his mind. In fact, it almost seemed trivial.

As he continued doing laps around the marketplace, all his thoughts were entirely consumed with one thing.

Azula.

There was no more denying it. The talking to herself when she thought he wasn't listening. The increasingly erratic behavior. Not that he knew her all that well, but it was pretty obvious that something was wrong with her, seriously wrong, and it was getting worse.

_Well of course something__'__s wrong with her__,__ you idiot__. __You stole her from a mental hospital._

He closed his eyes for a moment, hoping that maybe blocking out the external stimuli might help him think.

_Ok, so I've gotta get her back to that hospital, but how? What, am I just gonna ask politely__?__Yeah, I'm sure that'll work__. __Maybe if I..._

"Waaah!"His foot shifted from underneath him. He spun to the right and almost fell backward, catching his balance at the last moment.

"Watch it, buddy!" a short earthbender in yellow and green with a messy mop of hair hanging in front of her eyes yelled at him. He'd almost walked right into her.

Before he could apologize, the darker skinned guy with the ponytail dressed in blue that she was walking beside yelled out something about 'real warrior food' while pointing toward the meat market. With that, he grabbed the girls hand and excitedly ran off with her in tow. Practically leaving a trail of drool in his wake.

- - - -

Far to the southwest, an airship sat in a clearing, miles from the nearest Earth Kingdom town.

Zuko paced restlessly on deck. He kept looking from the control room and out over the clearing, waiting for the ostrichhorses, carrying his disguised soldiers, to return.

Landing near town, or even close to them. This entire mission had to be executed as stealthily as possible, or at least as stealthy as was possible in fifty meter airship. It was fast, at least. Jian, the talkative old engineer, had been right about that. Though claiming it was as fast as an air bison was a bit of a stretch.

He made another circle around the control room, looking out the window the entire way. What was taking so long? They'd only landed three miles outside of town. It shouldn't be taking this long, especially not for such a tiny little port town.

"I don't think you're pacing is going to bring them back any sooner. Just try and relax a little," Mai said as she leaned against one wall, cleaning her fingernails with a knife.

"Relax!?" Zuko spun on her. "How am I supposed to relax? I..."

No, Mai was right. He'd made his decision. No use getting worked up over it now. Though that still didn't make him feel any better about it. He let out a frustrated sigh and marched out of the control room.

Compared to the Zeppelins his father had used to attack the Earth Kingdom, this ship was much smaller. Behind the control deck were only a few rooms for the crew, then, a small area for cargo (that was currently being used as a pen for the ostrich horses.) Behind that was the engine room and a series of small pods that looked like boilers. Zuko paced the entire length of the ship until he was at its rear. He stopped in front of one of the small boiler looking contraptions. Whatever it was, it wasn't being used.

"I hope we won't have to use those," he heard the loud, burly voice of the engineer behind him.

"What are they anyway?" Zuko asked over his shoulder, looking for any distraction while he awaited his men's return. "They look like boilers, but... kinda not."

"Those, my Lord, are solid fuel combustion chambers. I built 'em myself. You see this?" Gou pointed at a thick metal cylinder with a large handle sticking out from the side of the chamber.

Zuko just nodded, then looked to the front of the ship, then back to the chambers. He could really care less how the ship actually worked, just as long as it did, but despite doing nothing to hide his disinterest, Jian kept explaining.

"Well this..." Jian pulled out a huge metal pin that held the cylinders handle in place. With effort, he pushed the cylinder in, twisted, then pulled it back out, a bit further than it was before. Zuko gave a half-hearted glance at the small opening in the side of the cylinder, inside which was what looked like a candle wick. Zuko opened his mouth to excuse himself, but Jian had already launched back into his explanation.

"That fuse you see there goes to the solid fuel inside the chamber. It's sorta like a bomb really."

"A bomb!?" He now had Zuko's full attention. "I thought you said this ship doesn't have any weapons!"

"Settle down, settle down. It ain't a weapon. I said it's like a bomb. Big difference is this stuff burns slower, not all at once. So, instead of an explosion, you get a real powerful intense burn. Only lasts a few seconds, but sometimes that's all ya need. You see these?"

Jian pointed at the pipes running up from the combustion chamber and out the top of the ship.

Zuko sighed. "I really..."

"These are connected to that metal tube runnin' across the top a' the ship. Once these get lit," he pointed out the other five chambers, "we get a few second burst of speed from each one. It's not much, but for that time, there aint a thing in the sky that could catch us."

Jian crossed his thick, muscled arms across his chest. Looking perfectly satisfied that he'd educated the Fire Lord about the ships inner-workings... Whether he'd wanted the lesson or not.

Jian gave a shrug of his shoulders. "Course, they aint' never been tested. Could just as easily blow up the whole ship. That'd be a shame. After I went an fixed it an all."

"SIR!" someone yelled from the front of the ship. "THEY'RE BACK!"

Zuko turned and made his way quickly toward the front of the ship, glad to get his ears away from Jian. Mai met him halfway to the control room, an amused smile on her face.

"What?" Zuko asked as they hurried toward the front of the ship.

"Making new friends I see." She said glancing back toward the engineer, who was still admiring the ships untested propulsion devices.

"Hardly." Zuko rolled his eyes. "He just goes on and on about things I couldn't possibly need to know. Who even does that. Just gives out random information like it's going to be important somehow?"

They stopped at the tiny cargo bay door just as ostrich-horses trampled up the loading plank. Zuko was already asking questions before any of the soldiers were even dismounted. To his dismay, they'd found nothing. Frustrated, he ordered the ship to leave.

"Keep us on the tree tops and away from any roads." He ordered.

The navigator crossed that town off the map, then set course for the next one.

- - - - -

"So what do these do?" Yu asked, picking some kind of dried out lizard and turning it over in his hands.

"Oh that one, depending on what it's mixed with, it makes a great salve for cuts, scrapes and burns," the old healer explained.

Yu looked over the other bizarre components lying across the table. "So what do I mix it with for cuts then?"

The old woman smiled. Whether it was because she was happy to be helping someone, or because she sensed an impending sale, Yu wasn't really sure.

She picked out some swamp grass, a vile of sea salt and some gray powder that, as far as Yu could tell was just ash. She also handed him a small mortar and pestle to complete the sale. Yu paid for it and stuffed it in his pack, a task made more difficult now that he could only take off and put on his back pack with one hand. His other hand still hurt too much to fully close it or grip anything.

He tried to make a mental list of what else he should get. Azula hadn't been very specific.

_Whatever you can think of to make us not die, _had been her only instruction. Yu had gotten the distinct feeling she just didn't want him around for a while. He hadn't wanted to leave her alone, but he also knew he wasn't going to win any arguments with her either. In the end, it just seemed like a better idea to head into town for a bit. At least use the time to try and think a way through all this mess he'd created.

So far, it wasn't working.

He shuffled from booth to booth, shifting back into wandering and pondering mode, and therefore once again paying very little attention to anything or anyone around him.

_ It's not like she's some kind of pushover, either. I can't just gather the local guard and go get her. She'll kick their butts. Then she'll probably kick my butt. She's mean when she's angry... and when she's not._

He almost walked into another group of people. They parted as he walked right through them, mumbling to himself and ignoring both them and their insults. He wandered around, picking up a few more things. Dried meats, a small pot and pan, anything he could thing of to make meals a bit more... civilized. They'd been surviving mainly on fish and small animals roasted on sticks over an open fire. Something Azula, well, didn't exactly seem thrilled about.

_ If I make her suspicious, she's likely to ditch me, or worse. And I can't take a chance of losing her. She's my responsibility. I'm the whole reason she's even out here. So come on brain, help me out here. Why does she have to be smarter and stronger than me? That makes this so much more difficult._

He stopped in the middle of the plaza and let out a frustrated yell then fell into a crouch and grasped his head in frustration. The people around him stared for a second, then kept walking, though at a more... comfortable distance around him.

_ Gaah! Why am I so stupid? I should have let her get caught back in the last town, but no, for some stupid reason I... What the?_

He stood up and looked across the market place. It wasn't what he saw that got his attention. It was what he felt. He was finally close enough to that odd set of benders, that it was finally impossible to ignore.

Two earthbenders, one waterbender, a firebender (a strong one, very strong.) and... something else.

At first notice, it was the firebender that caught his attention. Whoever they were, they were almost as strong as Azula. Her brother? No, that didn't seem to make sense. He was the Fire lord wasn't he? If he was here, wouldn't that cause some kind of commotion? Royalty, in a place like this. Besides, wouldn't he have other firebenders with him? He only sensed this one.

He moved closer, trying to identify the source. It was just past the market, and, if his senses weren't lying to him, down a narrow alley a few yards in front of him.

He moved to it slowly and peeked around the corner. Down the alley stood three figures. He actually recognized two of them. The short earthbender he'd almost walked into and the guy in blue. The third figure was wearing a cloak, but stood about the same height as the earthbender. Some kind of long-eared white creature with a long tail sat on his shoulder.

Only three people, but... he knew what he felt. He was distinctly sensing five benders, and the taller guy wasn't even one of them.

What the heck is going on?

He ducked back around the corner, shook his head, rubbed his eyes. Maybe he was just tired. He took a deep breath and peeked back down the alley.

Nope, still there. Three people. Two benders. Five bending signatures. Four of which seemed to be coming from the kid in the cloak. How was that even...

_No way! It couldn't be__!_

As if responding to Yu's thought's, the short earthbender poked cloaky in the face, causing his hood to fall back and revealing all the proof Yu needed. Right there on his forehead, a blue arrow tattoo.

_So, this is what airbending feels like__,_was Yu's first thought, followed by a sudden sense of elation. If there was absolutely anyone in the world that could help him get Azula back to the hospital, it would be the Avatar.

The spirits must be smiling on him. He felt a bit light headed. This was almost too good to be true. The answer to his problem was standing right there. Not more than fifty feet away. If there was anyone in world that could help him get Azula back to where she needed to be, it was the Avatar.

He took a step into the alley, went to wave his arms and call out, but was stopped dead in his tracks.

What was this awful feeling?

He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. He was terrified. There was something else there. Another kind of bending. Something horrible and twisted. Something he wanted nothing to do with.

_R__un._

Any thoughts he had of going to this person for help were quickly washed away. There was no salvation here, only destruction. A blur of thoughts flashed through his head. No, not thoughts. Raw emotion, feelings, instincts, survival.

_Run!_

The Avatar would tear him apart, destroy him.

_I can't go back, I won't go back._

So overwhelming was his terror, he didn't even notice that waterbender walking up behind him.

_ RUN!_

He turned to flee, and ran collided with her.

- - - -

Katara was almost done shopping. She wasn't a huge fan of vegetables (though not nearly as enthusiastic about meat as her brother). Even so, over the last year, she'd gotten a pretty good feel for what Aang liked. Luckily, he wasn't terribly picky, unless it was sea prunes. Definitely not one of his favorites, but she was working on that. After all, it was a staple diet of the Southern Water Tribe, he'd have to get used to them eventually.

_What's up with this guy?_ she thought as she approached their meeting place. Someone was standing by the alley, peeking around the corner. Whoever it was, he looked tense and nervous.

Was he sweating? Even shaking a bit.

One hand down toward her water flask, but... no, he didn't _seem_ dangerous. She'd gotten a good sense for these kind of things over the last year. In fact, the closer she got he almost seemed...

He suddenly lurched back, spun, and right smack into her. They both fell to the ground. Katara's basket of fruits and vegetables hit the ground and went everywhere.

"Sorry, I'm sorry," The boy stammered while trying to help her up.

"You should really watch where you're..." Katara started to say as she dusted herself off. She stopped when she looked up at his face, confirming her feeling from before. He was bent over, quickly and clumsily trying to shove her produce back in the basket. Katara was just trying to get a good look at his face.

"Here," he shoved the basket back at her. She grabbed it as he let it go, almost dropping it again. He ran off in an almost panic-like scramble. Looking as though he'd just seen a ghost.

- - - - -

Moments Earlier

- - - - -

Toph stuck a finger in Aang's face, possibly trying to point at him, but a little too closely. Aang pulled his head away to avoid getting poked in the eye and getting a finger jammed in his cheek instead, causing his hood too fall back.

"Alright, so what's the plan beanpole. How do we deal with this spirit thing! Cause, I can't just wallop spirits with rock ya know, and I'm certainly not taggin' along for the scenery."

"Actually, when they're in the physical world, I think you can." Sokka said, remembering his boomerang bouncing off of Hei-Bei's very corporeal spirit creature butt nearly a year ago.

Aang caught his balance after almost being poked over by Toph. "Until I find out more, there really is no plan. We just don't know enough yet. That's why I'm going to try and commune with the moon spirit tonight. It's a full moon after all."

"Commune?" Toph mocked. "Don't try to make it sound so fancy."

"Where's Katara anyway?" She said, shifting subjects.

Aang rubbed his cheek and pulled his hood back over his arrow at the same time Toph tilted her head and smiled as she sensed the vibrations just down the alleyway. "Hey, there she is now. Hope you like bruised fruit."

To which Aang just gave a confused "Huh?"

A few moments later, Katara came walking down the alley while looking back over her shoulder.

"Alright, " Sokka said, "is that everything... Hey, Katara, what's up?" he asked his sister who kept looking out the alley with a perplexed look.

"Oh, nothing. I just ran into someone, literally. It was kind of weird though. I just had this... feeling about him. Like I..."

"Katara!" Toph interrupted, leaning over and whispering loudly enough for everyone to hear. "Aang's right there. We'll talk about your other boyfriends later."

"Not like _that_," Katara asserted over Aang and Sokka's snickering. She looked back out the alley again. "He just seemed... very familiar. I could swear I've met him before."

Sokka shrugged. "We have been all over the world, met a lot of people, and in case you forgot, we've still got a rogue fire spirit to look for. It's certainly not going to wander up to us while were waiting around here."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." She agreed. With nothing left to do, they turned down the alley and headed out of town.

* * *

* * *

**_Well, I'm going to be pretty busy this month (as I have been for the last few) so the next chapter probably won't come out for at least another month. Once I'm done with moving and job hunting and finishing the jobs I still have to do before moving.... Ah! Anyway. Thank you very much for sticking with this story, I know my updates as of late have been sporadic at best, but, once I get situated and everything isn't so crazy, I can actually get back to a more regular update schedule. Oh, and I am naturally lazy, but reviews really do help to motivate me. So if you like the story please leave one. And if you have any advice, I'd love to hear that too. _**


	30. Chapter 29:Conversations by the Campfire

**Chapter 29**

Conversations by the Campfire

She'd sent Yu wandering toward the city nearly an hour ago. He'd started to protest a bit, bringing up both his "wanted" status and issues of explosive flammability. A few words and some well placed glares later, he was on his way, and she on hers.

Given his past exploits, there was always a possibility he wouldn't be coming back. It was something she was no longer overly concerned about. She had no intention of allowing all her plans to hinge on the cooperation of one person. She placed her faith in others before, only to be betrayed. It wasn't going to happen again.

That's not to say he wouldn't serve a purpose either way. If he returns, fine. If he gets caught and spills his guts about her location, so be it. That would alert Zuko and draw him in that much faster.

Yu would serve her willingly or as bait.

For now, she put those thoughts out of her head and concentrated on the task at hand. For the last hour, she's been exploring the multiple paths crisscrossing their way around the rough mountain terrain, committing them to memory as best she could and producing a mental map. She'd already circled around the area three times, returning to the same crossroads down different paths. One main path led away from her, down into the city. This was the path Yu had taken after she shooed him away earlier. From that point, the main path split off into a spider web of smaller twisting paths, some doubling back on themselves, others leading nowhere at all. Azula suspected this was intentional.

During the war, this area would have made the perfect refuge for the citizens of Yenrai fleeing the encroaching Fire Nation armies. She'd already come across a two small caves at the ends of various paths. Caves that would have been easily sealed up by earthbenders. Other paths dead-ended into solid rock faces in what she suspected had been cave entrances left sealed.

This area had obviously been set up to repel enemy encroachment. She had no doubt, that with a little more searching, she'd also find places suitably staged for an ambush. The corner of her lip curled into a trite smile. This would be the second time the Earth Kingdom provided her the means to fulfill her plans. It was like this country _wanted_ to be conquered.

Her eyes tracked over to a path she'd yet to explore. It wound around the side of the mountain, one side hugging to the vertical rock face, the other a sheer drop of a few hundred meters. It seemed promising.

_If I can lure Zuko..._

"Zuko, Zuko, Zuko. Is that all you can think about?"

She was interrupted by her own voice. Her Other stood at the crossroads just behind her, glaring at her with palpable contempt. Azula felt herself shrink back a bit before realizing she was even doing it.

"Even with my help you've been unwilling or unable to move past this fixation on petty revenge."

"This is part of the plan. This is what we agreed on."

"Part of the plan," her Other laughed. "You've got nothing but stray thoughts, fragments of ideas and some ill-formed nebulous concept of a grand design that forever remain just out of your reach. It's not like the old days is it? The thoughts don't come together like they used to, do they? So you cling to this one insignificant wisp of a thought: Kill Zuko. Hoping that once you do, it'll all fall into place. Everything will change, be as it was and the world will lie before your feet once again. You're pathetic."

"Watch your tongue!"

"Or you'll do what, hmm? Face it. Even if you do manage to kill him, then what? You have no idea what to do next, do you!"

"I..." Azula's voice caught in her throat.

"Start the war again? What about the Avatar? Rule the Fire Nation? Do you honestly think they'll accept you as their leader? Or maybe you'll try and free Father, as if he'd forgive such a miserable little failure!"

A plume of blue fire erupted from Azula's knuckles as she tightly clenched her hand into a fist. A puff of smoke left her mouth, instantly drying the single tear that rolled down her face.

"Is it any wonder he didn't want you at his side during the invasion?"

It all happened in an instant. Azula turned on her Other. The blue flecks of fire at her fingertips turned to crackling tendrils of electricity. She felt the energy flow and surge within her. Arcs of lightning traced behind her fingertips as her hands cut through the air. She leveled a finger at her Other, giving the tumultuous surge of energy a direction and course, but something was wrong. The lightning left her fingers in a spasm instead of flow, and instead of guiding that energy, she found herself at the center of it. Her entire body lurched as the raw power twisted back in on itself and exploded all around her. Raw electricity licked the ground, tracing black lines of carbon through the dirt and blasting rocks to pieces. A nearby bush burst into flames as Azula was tossed through the air like a rag doll.

Time seemed to stop and everything went black. She could hear her own voice laughing in her ears, then she was suddenly jarred back to consciousness as she hit the ground and slid to a stop. She felt a sting just over her eye and reached up only to pull her fingers away, covered in blood. The cut on her forehead had reopened. She tried to lift her head but as soon as she did, everything became a blur. She wasn't sure how many moments she lay there, unmoving, but when she came to, she looked up into the eyes of her mother.

Ursa held her daughters head in her lap and moved some stray hairs from her face. Azula felt her mother's hand gently caress one of her cheeks.

"I don't want any sympathy from you," Azula managed weakly.

Despite her words, she made no effort resist. Whether from physical exhaustion or because of... well, she wasn't sure.

"Then what do you want?" Ursa asked.

"You know why I'm here. I'll not have this conversation again."

"I'm not talking about Zuko. I'm talking about you. Why are you doing this, and for whom? Is this really what you want? Do you even know what you want?"

What nonsense. Of course she knew. Why... why else was she out here, putting herself through all this? Yes, she knew what she wanted, of course she did. She just...

No, she didn't need to answer any of this. Not to _her._She rolled her head to the side and looked away, but still made no effort to get up. She didn't want to talk to her mother, but she didn't want to leave her, now right now at least. She was tired, so very tired. Maybe... maybe she could close her eyes for just a second...

When she opened them, the sun had jumped across the sky. Hours had passed.

She cursed under her breath. The whole day wasted! That idiot would probably be returning any moment, if he hadn't already. She didn't want him finding her here, not like this. She pulled herself off the ground and brushed her clothes off the best she could. The blood on her head had dried and she did what she could to clean off the dried streaks from the side of her face then pulled her loose hair around to hide what she couldn't. Once she collected herself, she stomped down the path and made her way to the location they'd agreed to meet.

He hadn't arrived yet. Maybe he had been captured? Well, good riddance, one less thing to worry about.

Then, as if on cue, a small speck of a human outline rounded the ridge further down the path. Not close enough that she could make out who it was, though for someone like Azula, who made it a point to notice every little detail, the way it walked was more than enough to tell her who it was. She waited a few minutes, not taking her eyes off the path behind him.

About ten minutes later he finally made his way to Azula. He showed up carrying a moderate bag of supplies. Azula didn't ask what he had gotten, but instead kept a watch over his shoulder. Yu couldn't help but notice.

"What are you... looking at?" He asked, trying to make out what she was seeing, but didn't notice anything.

"Nothing, just making sure half the town's garrison isn't marching up behind you."

He turned around and glared at her for a second. A look she returned.

"You still don't trust me?" Yu asked. He seemed hurt by the accusation. It was almost enough to make her laugh.

_Of course I don't trust you. I'm not a fool._

"You have a talent for drawing unwanted attention to yourself. I'm just being cautious." After a few more seconds she seemed satisfied that no one else was coming around the bend.

She took her eyes off the path and turned them on Yu.

"So, no other troubles I should know about?"

"Uh no... no, not really." He looked away, stretched a bit then scratched the side of his neck. He was one of the worst liars she'd ever seen. Something he at least seemed aware of since he quickly tried to back track with what was obviously another lie, maybe hoping the absurdity of which would deflect her suspicions.

"Well, I did notice this group of children giving me funny looks, but don't worry. I beat them to a bloody pulp just to make sure. You would have been proud."

She just shrugged her shoulders. "I doubt you'd even be capable of such an act."

"Hey. I could be mean if I wanted to be."

"I meant physically."

Without saying another word she turned and walked away. She knew he was covering something, but whatever it was, it could wait. After a moment, Yu followed and didn't say any more. He was just thankful she'd dropped her questioning. He really didn't want to tell her about the Avatar.

He cursed under his breath. What had he been so afraid of? What was that all about? Now he'd let probably the single best opportunity he could have had for getting Azula back to that hospital slip through his fingers.

Now what?

He shook his head and just kept following Azula.

She led them back to one of the shallow caves she'd come across earlier and, by the time the sun was kissing the horizon, Yu was almost done setting up camp. Azula sat at the entrance of the cave, staring out into the distance, lost in thought. When Yu interrupted her to start the fire, she almost bit his head off, and then, after giving the wood pile a quick blast of flame, she went back to the mouth of the cave and sat silently by herself once again.

She seemed more agitated than usual (if that were even possible), so Yu gave up on any attempts at conversation or small talk. Once the fire was going strong, he reached into bag and pulled out the ingredients he'd bought from the healer earlier that day, as well as the small mortar and pestle. While he mixed and mashed the ingredients together, he couldn't help but allow his eyes to wander over to Azula every few seconds.

She looked terrible. Almost like she'd aged a few months in the time between when he'd left this morning and returned this afternoon. The bags under her eyes were darker, her face paler, her long hair not only hung messily in front of her face, but also fell in a tangle of multiple directions. Like the branches of a weeping willow after being ravaged by a storm.

Some of it even looked singed?

He finished mixing the salve and set it next to the fire just as the healer instructed. Her instructions had been fairly specific. He had to let it warm, not boil or cook, for at least an hour. He'd know when it was done when it smelled like spoiled Yak vomit. Not that that last part really helped, given a distinct unfamiliarity with what most types of animal vomit would or should smell like. He would just have to trust himself to remove it once it smelled appropriately disgusting enough.

Once the slimy green concoction no longer needed his immediate attention, Yu decided to occupy himself with something else. He looked over to Azula once again. No, she still didn't seem up for conversation, but it at least gave him an idea.

He shuffled though the wood pile next to the fire and pulled out a thick knot of wood, turned it over in his hand and nodded approvingly to himself, then reached into his pack and pulled out the small knife that he last used all those weeks ago to cut a notch into a boat rudder...

He looked at the knife for a moment, thinking of that day. Just a few weeks ago... seemed like a lifetime.

He shook off the thought and put the blade to the wood.

Unnoticed by Yu, a glint of firelight reflecting off the blade caught Azula's attention. She looked out the corner of her eye at the small knife in his hand. How could she have forgotten that. He was carrying a weapon, and she'd let it slip her mind. Wait... No, why was she getting so worked up? It's just Yu. He was harmless.

Yu took no notice and simply went on doing what he was doing. He had to stop and make a few adjustments to his grip, his hand was still injured and it made trying to carve a bit difficult. He loosened his grip and shifted the knife, allowing him more pressure with less sore fingers. It didn't help much, but it was better than before. Then, before continuing with that, he took a moment to make a small adjustment to the bowl, moving it a few inches from the fire. It just didn't feel quite right where it was.

_There, that__'__s better._

He then went back to his carving.

- # - # - # - # - # - # -

The Eel-hound's body rose and fell in quick succession with each breath it drew in. It readjusted itself in its sleep, rolling onto its back and tucking its head around under its side.

"It's a good thing these things don't need much sleep," Suki said as she rolled her bedding out on the ground in front of the campfire.

"Too bad we do," Ty Lee let out a long yawn and stretched her arms high above her head. "This kind of reminds me of when Azula had us chasing the Avatar in this big speedy tank thing. We used lizards then too. Of course we weren't the ones trying to go without sleep; that was the Avatar and his friends. That was kinda Azula's plan though... uh, now I know how they felt."

She let out another yawn as she sat down on her bedroll in front of the fire.

"I was just thinking it would be kind of nice to have that with us right about now."

"Sorry, I left my tank in the pocket of my other uniform," Suki joked as she threw another log on the fire. She looked over at Ty Lee, who was starring drowsily into the flickering campfire.

"Can I ask you something?" Suki said over the crackling flames.

Ty Lee straightened up a bit. "Yeah, sure. What is it?"

"Why did you go along with her?"

Ty Lee crossed her arms over her knees and looked into the fire. There was no need to clarify who Suki was asking about. "Well... I really couldn't say no."

"You guys really were pretty close, huh?"

Ty Lee looked over at Suki, a bit confused, then shook her head.

"No, I mean I really, literally couldn't say no. Azula wouldn't let me. Believe me, I tried. When she first showed up at my circus, I told her how happy I was and that I didn't want to go."

Ty Lee looked back to the fire. Her expression becoming far more somber than what Suki was used seeing on her normally cheerful face.

"As soon as Azula said she was going to stay for my performance, I knew something was wrong. When I was in the middle of my act, she ordered the ringmaster to set my safety net on fire and release all the wild animals into the ring... She made it pretty clear that she wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer."

She sat up and looked over at Suki.

"After that, I did everything I could to stay on her good side. Azula isn't someone you want angry at you. It took her trying to kill one of my best friends... one of _our_ best friends, before I finally... I still don't know which one of us was more surprised by what I did, her or me."

Ty Lee leaned back on her elbows and looked up at the stars. "In a weird way, that's the whole reason I'm here I guess."

"What do you mean?" Suki asked.

"Well, I've always been afraid of Azula. Ever since the very first day I met her, back at the Fire Academy for Girls. I didn't have many friends. I was actually pretty shy back then."

_You, shy? _Suki thought as she raised an eyebrow, but didn't interrupt.

Ty Lee continued.

"I was just playing by myself one day when she came marching up, pointed at me and said, 'You seem adequate. I will allow you to be my friend! Try not to disappoint me!'"

"How old were you?" Suki couldn't help but ask.

"Uh... I think about 8?"

_What kind of eight year old__ talks like that!_ Suki thought as Ty Lee continued.

"I really didn't know what to say, so I just agreed. I was too scared not too."

She sighed and rolled back into a handstand. Gracefully, she lowered herself onto her elbows and placed her balled up hands under her chin while her feet dangled over her head. It looked terribly uncomfortable, but it didn't seem to bother Ty Lee. She continued on as though there'd been no break in the conversation at all.

"I know it seems kind of weird, but even though I was always afraid of her, I always admired her too. She was always so smart and she was never afraid of anything, and it wasn't just because she was the princess. She just always had this presence about her. Me, on the other hand, I grew up with seven sisters who practically all look the same. I always felt lost among them, just another face in the crowd. How are you supposed to feel special when there was seven more you's hanging around. So, I just sorta kept to myself."

She flipped back over into a regular sitting position, her eyes still fixated on the fire.

"But after I became friends with Azula, people started treating me different. They started noticing me, treating me like I was important. Even my parents started paying more attention to me. I know it was just because I was the princess's friend, but I didn't care. For the first time I actually felt special. In a way, she's the reason I ran off to join the circus. I wanted to show everyone that I was different, that I was special, and I wanted to do it on my own."

She stood up and stretched, then looked across the fire at Suki.

"Weird, huh? I grew up being so afraid of getting lost in a crowd of girls who looked just like me, and here I am, part of a group of girls who all dress the same and wear the same face. Even weirder though, I don't think I'd be here without Azula."

"How so?" Suki had to ask as she met Ty Lee's gaze over the dancing flames.

"After I finally stood up to her at Boiling Rock Prison, once I finally faced that fear I've always had of her, I guess being part of a matched set didn't seem that scary anymore."

- # - # - # - # - # - # -

Dancing shades of red and yellow played across the rusted husk of an old Fire Nation war tank. The plains to the east of Yenrai were scattered with them and it didn't take an historian to tell that a large scale battle had taken place here at some point in the last few years. One of these tanks sat off the ground at a steep angle, held up by several jagged pillars of stone. While Aang and the crew had learned that the city had been taken and occupied during the war, it was plainly obvious that it hadn't been taken easily.

Under the belly of this particular tank was where they made camp for the night.

"So, is he in the spirit world yet?" Sokka leaned over and whispered to Katara.

"I'm not sure. His arrows usually glow when he's in the spirit world, don't they?"

"No not always. Remember back on Avatar Roku's Island? His arrows weren't glowing then," Sokka added.

"Well, his heartbeat hasn't changed." Toph jumped in. "I think..."

"You know," Aang furrowed his brow, his eyes still closed," this would be a lot easier to do this if you guys would stop talking."

Sokka and Katara started apologizing. Toph just shrugged her shoulders and gave a "Whatever."

"Look, you guys stay here and talk about whatever you want. I'm gonna go find somewhere quiet and see if I can make contact with the moon spirit." Aang gestured out beyond their tank shelter. He got up, grabbed his glider staff and shuffled off. Appa gave a low moan as Aang walked away, but only rolled over on his side and fell back asleep. Momo flitted off his perch stop the tank and landed on Aang's shoulder. Aang reached up and scratched the lemur's chin as he disappeared around the ruined rusted tank.

"I'll be right back," Toph stood up and started walking after Aang, "I got some business to take care of."

"Ok, but be careful," Sokka yelled behind her, "I took care of some 'business' in that direction earlier."

"I'll keep my eyes open," Toph said as she rounded the tank.

"Ok, you... Hey!" Sokka huffed as Toph disappeared.

One major advantage to being so sensitive to vibrations was also being intimately aware of your own. It meant Toph could be exceptionally stealthy when she wanted to be. Though, no self respecting earthbender would ever bother sneaking up on an enemy, (leave that to the water or airbenders) there were always times when being sneaky was useful.

Aang was still walking, and, as far as she could tell, hadn't noticed her following. He was moving a good distance away from camp. Probably wanted to make sure he didn't get any interference during his weird spirit stuff. Whatever, that suited Toph just fine. The farther away the better. Less chance the peanut gallery would get involved.

Even if she hadn't been moving quietly, Aang was too lost in thought to notice anyone following him. Once she felt they were far enough away from camp, she made her move. She dug her toes into the ground and twisted her foot. A slab of rock shot up from the ground directly in front of him.

It happened so fast, Aang didn't even have time to avoid it. His face smacked straight into it. Momo jumped off his shoulder and spiraled up into the air. Aang clapped a hand to his stinging face and turned...

"Ow! Hey!"

...just in time to avoid a rock flying at his head. He dodged it and a split second later it exploded against the rock slab just behind him.

"Toph! What's are..."

He ducked as another rock whizzed by within inches of his head.

"Sorry, what was that baldy? Looks like the rocks aren't listening to your whinning. Might wanna try somethin' else."

The earth lurched beneath him, knocking him off his feet. A cushion of air kept him from hitting the ground and he spun himself back upright just in time to see a massive boulder grinding across the ground straight at him. He stood his ground and punched through it, but just behind it was a Toph shaped rock mound surfing across the ground straight at him.

He pulled fragments of the exploded boulder out of the air and drew them to himself, covering himself in stone armor to mimic Toph's. They collided and their hands locked together at the moment of impact. Toph forced him back about a dozen feet before he was even able to slow her down.

"Toph, stop! What are you doing!"

"Sending you back to class Twinkle Toes!"

Her momentum picked up again. She locked her grip even tighter and, instead of just pushing him back, starting forcing him into the ground as well.

"That all you got? You givin' up already! You want me to stop pushing, then try pushing back!"

The rocks covering his hands began to crack and fall away. The ground beneath him buckled under his weight and he sunk another foot before stopping himself.

"Enough!" Aang yelled.

His stone armor exploded off his body with enough force to shatter Toph's as well. She was knocked off her feet and rolled a few times before coming to a stop with her feet in the air. Aang pulled himself out of the dirt and switched his stance. Scattered stones rolled up to his feet and jumped to his fists. He stood with his rock gloves, prepared for her next attack.

Toph just rolled over on her feet and beat the dust of her clothes.

"Yeah! That's what I'm talkin' about!" Her enthusiastic response caught Aang off guard. Whatever this was all about, she didn't seem mad anymore. He let the rock gloves crumble off and just stood there, a bit confused.

"And here I was starting to think you'd forgotten what being an earthbender was all about!"

She kicked off the remaining rock fragments, walked over to Aang, and bonked him on the head.

"Ow," Aang rubbed his head. "What was that all about?"

"The other night I got all up in your face for a reason. It was a test and you failed. Do you actually think I care that I'm still out here, getting' in fights an all that? I love this stuff! No, the reason I got on your case is because I got tired of seein' you all mopey and depressed. I figured that if I pushed you a bit you'd push back, but nooo. Instead you just went on feelin' all sorry for yourself. 'Boo hoo, it's all my fault.' Bleh! Let me tell you something, Twinkletoes."

She shoved a finger in his face.

"There's a lot more to earthbending than just moving some rocks around. It's also in the attitude, and that's something you still need a lot of work on."

"Yeah, but Toph..."

She bonked him on the head again, "Quiet, your Sifu's talking."

She groaned and rubbed her temples. "Sometimes it gets a little annoying being the manliest person on this team! Sure, Sokka has his moments, but it would be nice if the guy who's supposed to be the baddest bender in the world would actually grow a pair."

_A pair of what? _Aang thought but was cut off before the thought could make its way to his mouth.

"This is just like when you freaked out in the desert. You were all gloom and doom then, too. Now, I wouldn't normally admit to this, but you are pretty much the leader of this group. So start acting like it! Got it!"

Aang couldn't help but smile, "Yeah, maybe I..."

"Earthbenders don't say Maybe!" Toph yelled as her a finger struck out in the general direction of his face again. Aang barely avoided a finger up the nose. He took a step back and planted his feet on the ground, hard, sending a purposeful shockwave through the ground.

"Yes, Sifu Toph!" he yelled out like a soldier responding to orders.

Toph shrugged her shoulders, "Eh, good enough. I might make a real earthbender out of you yet."

She turned and walked away, waving a hand in the air as though dismissing him.

"Alright, go ahead and take care of your spirity hokus pokus."

- # - # - # - # - # - # -

Yu had spent the better part of the last hour in silence. He'd made a few attempts to engage Azula in conversation, but she wasn't having any of it. She was still sitting at the mouth of the cave looking out into the night sky. It was obvious that something was bothering her. Well, something always seemed to be bothering her, but tonight she seemed more withdrawn than usual.

A pungent odor wafted past his nose. He stopped carving and set the knife and the almost finished product down by the fire and reached for the bowl. He didn't even get it close to his nose before the smell made him recoil.

Yeah, that seemed about vomity enough.

"Hey, Azula."

Other than a slight tilt of her head, he got no response from her. So he tried something a little different to get her attention.

"Hey, you. Get your butt over here."

That worked.

Azula's head snapped in his direction. Her expression was a mix of bewilderment and boiling rage.

"What... what did you say to me!"

Yu stood up, bowl in one hand and pointing at her with the other.

"You."

"Butt." He pointed a bit lower.

"Here!" Then he pointed to the rock by the fireside he'd just been sitting on,

She starred at him for a moment in utter bewilderment. Was he really just that bored with being alive? Well, if that was the case he was going to be sorely disappointed. If this were any other time, any other situation, she would gladly oblige his apparent yearning for self destruction. Though this wasn't any other day, and in her current situation she found the only emotion he was capable of rousing within in her were a mild annoyed apathy. She simply had too much on her mind to waste any energy on him.

She turned away without saying a word, hoping for nothing more than for him to take the hint and shut up.

Though Yu wasn't real big on 'hints'.

"Ok fine, I'll come over there. Geez you're such a pain sometimes..." He stopped for a second and smirked to himself, "I guess that officially makes you a royal pain, doesn't it."

He paused, expecting some kind of reaction, but still got nothing. "You know, cause you're a princess, and kind of a pain in the... so, royal pain, get it..." he trailed off and shrugged his shoulders as he started walking toward her again.

At this point Azula was no longer ignoring him. She was suddenly over her apathy and now was just waiting for him to get close enough so she could break him in two. Just a moment before she was about to lunge at him, she was almost knocked off her seat as a putrid odor suddenly and viscously assaulted her olfactory senses.

She reeled back and pinched her nose shut. The smell was so awful, it erased all thoughts from her mind of his impending doom.

"What is that!" She demanded. "It's revolting. I hope you don't expect me to eat that!"

"Don't worry, it's not food," he said, scooping some onto his finger.

"Then what is it and why is it anywhere near me!"

"It's medicine, for that cut on your head. You know, the one you've been trying to hide with your hair. I know you think I'm dumb; I wasn't aware you also thought I was blind. Now come on, I need to put this on while it's warm."

"No, absolutely not. I'm not putting that foul smelling... whatever it is, on me. And I'm certainly not letting you do it. Now go away, I don't want your help and I don't need your help."

"Ok, fine," Yu turned a half step away, "If you want a big nasty scar, hey, fine with me. I'll just go throw this out."

The thought of a jagged scar running across the side of her head wasn't something that sat well with her. She took a moment to weigh her options. Play along with this little game of 'healer', or break all his limbs and tie him into a knot.

Decisions, decisions.

"Fine," she sat back down and crossed her arms. "Just make it quick, and keep your hands up here," she jabbed her thumb at the cut.

Yu scooped some of the foul smelling substance out of the bowl with his finger and started applying it to her head. It stung almost the instant it was applied. Azula didn't even flinch. She did, however, pinch her nose shut. The sting was nothing compared to the smell.

She endured it the best she could, trying to think of anything else as he took his own sweet time applying that horrible stuff. Well, at least she could pull her hair back again, no need in trying to cover up something he knew about. Though this was exactly the kind of fuss she was trying to avoid, and the fact that he seemed genuinely concerned just... bothered her.

Probably much more than it should.

"Aren't you going to ask how it happened?"

He paused and looked at her, then dipped his finger back in the bowl and went back to the cut.

"Would you tell me if I did?"

"No," she answered honestly.

"Exactly."

He put his fingers on her chin and started to tilt her head to the side when his hand exploded in pain. He yelled as Azula twisted his fingers backward and yanked them from her face.

"I gave you permission to touch my forehead. Nothing else," she spat out as she threw his hand to the side with a jerk.

Yu jumped back, pressing his hand against himself, and looked back at Azula incredulously.

"That's my injured hand!" he yelled at her and holding it up in front of her face.

"Then maybe you should be more careful with where you put it! "

"What is your problem! I'm trying to help you and you just... just... Seriously, why are you..." he grunted in frustration and turned away.

Ahh, angry confrontation. Now this was something she was more comfortable with.

"Why am I... what?" she said tauntingly, a ghost of smile finding its way to her face. "A bitch? Go ahead and say it. I'll enjoy watching you punch yourself in the face."

He got right up to her, pointing a finger in her face. He wanted to really let loose. Let it all out, tell her off. Really dig into her.

"I... just... You... Gahh!" was all that came out.

"Nice one."

"Shut up!"

He went back to the fire and sat down, turning his back to her. She stood where she was, not sure if this little fight was over, and hoping it wasn't.

With some disappointment, she watched as he picked up whatever little piece of wood he'd been working on and looked it over. It seemed he was done with the fight. Well then, she'd have to start it up again. Sure it was petty, but it was better than nothing. She needed this, and she wasn't going to let him deny her of her fix.

She moved toward him. He made two more cuts into the wood. Then, to her surprise, he stood up and tossed it to her.

"Here."

Her hand snatched it from the air instinctively. It was the clumsiest, most half-hearted attack anyone had ever aimed at her. She cocked her arm to wing it back at him and...

"It was almost done anyway, but I'm not really in the mood to finish it anymore."

What? She had no idea what he was talking about. Then she took a look at what was actually in her hand: a small bit of wood, whittled into a curve with a small hole at each side. It was a hair clip. He must have bought it in town when...

_Wait, is this... _she remembered the knife he'd pulled out earlier. The one that had briefly caught her attention, before she'd went back to ignoring him. Hadn't he also started fiddling with a hunk of wood? Was this...

She looked at it again, turning it over in her hand. No, he certainly hadn't bought this in the city. There was even a Fire Nation insignia carved into the back. The craftsmanship wasn't exactly up to par with what she had come to expect from the artisans in the palace, but it was still fairly impressive. Especially as she realized that he'd done this in an hour, and with an injured hand.

Though, why he'd bothered making a hair clip, his hair wasn't even...

She flipped it back over and stared at the Fire Nation insignia. He hadn't made this for himself.

Yu was sitting by the fire cleaning up when a splash of sparks caught his attention. He turned to look at the fire, then Azula. She glared back at him, and he quickly realized what had hit the fire.

"Hey!" He quickly moved to the fire. _"Hey!"_

"You seem to have a severe misinterpretation of this relationship. We are not friends. Understand that!" she turned and stomped away.

"Well, if you didn't want it you could..." He stuck his hand in the fire and grabbed it.

He yelped and yanked his hand out of the fire. The smoldering hair clip went tumbling through the air and landing at the back of the cave. Azula turned and watched him watch the fire. Yu starred wide-eyed into the flames, holding his hand. Except for the crackling flames, silence filled the air between them. It was only broken when Yu stammered out in shocked disbelief.

"That... that burned!"

Azula quickly crossed the cave and grabbed his hand, examining it. Yu felt the blood rush to his face as she took his hand in hers, though the feeling was fleeting. It only took a few moments to realize that there was no compassion in her concern, at least not for him. Her examination was completely analytical.

"It doesn't look burned. Sure it's not all in your head?" she said, throwing his hand aside and dismissing him.

"Now get out. I'm going to sleep." She seemed even more angry than she was when they were fighting, and Yu thought he knew why.

"What are you still doing her, go." She shooed him out as she started to unroll her sleeping bag.

He left the cave and while searching for a spot to lay his sleeping bag down, examined his 'burned' hand again. He flexed it, turned it over, made a fist again. The fire hadn't actually burned him, though he had felt the heat. His reaction had been more out of shock than pain. That had never happened before. At least, not that he could remember.

If he was loosing his powers...

Azula's reaction, her sudden change in attitude. If his abilities went away, she'd have no use for him, no reason to keep him around.

- # - # - # - # - # - # -

Minutes after his confrontation with Toph, Aang found a quiet spot on a hillside with a perfect view of the full moon. He sat down and began meditating. Last time he'd talked to Yue it had been involuntary. She'd contacted him. It was only now, sitting here under the full moon that he realized he wasn't even sure _how_ to contact the moon spirit. He had just kind of hoped something would...

_"Aaanng!"_

His eyes flew open. Yue's form hung before him, a barely visible specter fading in and out of view. Her voice was equally strained. His voice had come to his ears as little more than a strained whisper.

"Yue!"

_"Aang, please. __You need to listen. __I don't.." _

Her voice faded as well as her visage, then returned a moment later.

_ "...much time."_

Her contact with Aang was putting an obvious strain on her. He almost hesitated to press her for answers, but he didn't have a choice. If he was going to get answers, this may be his only chance. Several questions ran through his head, but before he could decide on which to ask first, Yue's voice came back to his ears, though barely audible. He couldn't even make out the first few words.

_"...all my strength, but it's getting too strong." _She stopped and seemed to be straining to draw enough energy to speak again. Her image faded against the moonlight and Aang could have sworn that the moons light itself slightly faltered. She appeared again, her lips already moving. Once more robbing Aang of hearing her first few words.

_ "__..because of the full moon that I'm able to weaken it enough to... "_

Her lips kept moving but her voice faded, another few words went missing before he could hear her once again.

_"...getting stronger..."_

Her words faded to a mumble and Aang moved as close to the spirit as he could without walking through her. Even then, her words were only barely discernible.

_"...longer I can hold it back. Please Aang. I can't fight it much longer... You have to find them. You have to separate them. If it gets any stronger, it may be too late!"_

Then, before Aang could even ask a single question, she was gone, faded into the night sky like wisps of fog breaking at dawn. He called her name, but got no response. He couldn't even feel her presence.

He headed back to camp to tell the others what he'd learned, as little as it was, and see what they could figure out together. Most disturbing, and most confusing, was what she'd said last.

_You have to find them. You have to separate them._

Find them? Separate them?

…_Who?_

_**No, it aint dead!**_

_**No, it's not going to die!**_

_**And I'm certainly not going to make any promises as to when the next chapter comes out. I tried that last time, saying it would be "soon". Well, all I can say is that the universe apparently took that as a personal challenge. So, to avoid it's wrath, I'll make no such promises this time. **_

_**Though I will say this. If the next chapter takes even a ¼ as long to arrive as this last one did, I'll put my home address in my profile and you're all welcome to come to my house and punch me in the face!**_


	31. Chapter 30: The Dragon

**Chapter 30**

_The Dragon_

Yenzo waited as long as he could. He didn't want to interrupt Makato, but time was working against them, and it had already taken longer to get their passes to the innermost part of the city than had been expected. Morning was fading into noon and Ba Sing Se was not a small place. If they were going to get to The Jasmine Dragon before nightfall, they needed to leave now.

"Sir," he said quietly as he approached. Makato didn't stir. He sat meditating and unmoving in front of a small twisted tree. Two sticks of incense burned before him. His lips moved slightly, but produced no sound, a silent conversation between him and an old friend.

"Sir," he said, a little bit louder.

Makato opened his eyes and looked up. Taking note of the Sun's position, he apologized, snuffed out the incense and gave a parting bow to the tree that had bore witness to Lu Ten's final breath. This was closest thing his childhood friend had to a grave marker. Makato gathered his things, gave a last farewell and bowed. He gave the tree one last look as they walked away. He'd not found the courage to search for the arrow's scar when he first arrived, and, as he left, decided it would still be best to not satiate that morbid curiosity after all. He left with Yenzo and met his other subordinates at the Monorail station.

As they waited for the train, Makato stood apart from his men. He stood at the edge of the monorail platform and just took in the vast size of this amazing city. He never imagined he would be seeing it like this, from the inside, as a tourist. He still couldn't get over the feeling that this was somehow... wrong. It didn't much help his disposition that he was once again here on Fire Nation orders. Though, this time, far more benevolent ones.

Still though...

He closed his eyes and all he could see was that prison, sitting at the bottom of that pit, looking up those unnaturally sheer stone walls, helpless to do anything against his captors or to help his fellow soldiers. Helpless to stop those bastards in the robes whenever they came to drag someone away with those damn stone gloves...

Something bumped into his leg, disturbing his thoughts. Makato, startled out of the past, looked down at the small boy who was picking a toy up off the ground; apparently having dropped it after bumping into him. A woman, most likely the child's mother, ran over and grabbed the boy by the arm and pulled him away while apologizing to Makato. He bowed and said it was no problem then watched the family walk off down the platform. As he watched them disappear down the massive steps, again he couldn't shake the feeling that he shouldn't be here.

_No problem... it was only a few years ago I was trying to kill you all. __Let him bump into my leg all he wants! __Seems like fair payback._

"Train's here, Sir!" his second in command, Yenzo, yelled across the crowded station. Makato took one last look over the city, then drew a deep breath and headed toward the train.

When he learned that his former General was running a tea shop, he had pictured something a bit more... humble. The green and gold building occupied a central spot in the market district and was only a few blocks from the monorail station. The Jasmine Dragon wasn't exactly large, but it was far more ornate (and far busier) than what he'd expected. Tables filled the small courtyard in front of the building and every last one had a customer sitting at it. Inside was equally packed, and Makato and his men took a place in line amongst those still waiting for a table.

He hadn't seen Iroh in years. In fact, the last time had been while Lu Ten was alive, back when Iroh was still leading the siege on Ba Sing Se. He spent the next few years as a P.O.W., and by the time he escaped and finally returned to the Fire Nation, Iroh was already away, babysitting a banished prince. He remembered how angry he'd been at finding out Iroh abandoned the siege, abandoned _them_, though that now felt like a lifetime ago. His anger had long since abated, and for good reason. Makato never put much stock in "fate;" he'd always believed that men made their own, but if Iroh hadn't given up the siege, hadn't been there to guide Zuko...

"Hello gentlemen and welcome to the Jasmine Dragon," said the young attractive hostess, "the finest tea shop in Ba Sing Se. My name's Jin. Is it just the four of you?"

"Actually, Miss, I have business with your employer. Is Iro..." _wait, what was that name again?_ "...is Mushi available?"

The girl paused, running a suspicious look over the lot of them before answering.

"Just... wait here a moment," she said before running off to the back room.

Jin stuck her head into the kitchen where she saw Mushi busily steeping the tea.

"Excuse me, Sir."

Mushi turned around. "Jin, please. How many times do I have to ask you? Just call me Mushi."

"Sorry, but I think there might be a problem. There's some men here looking for you, and, well, I think they might know who you are. Who you _really_ are."

Iroh registered the alarm in her voice and was quick to calm her.

"It's all right Jin. I've been anticipating visitors for a few days now. Ever since that letter from my nephew arrived."

"If you don't mind me asking, is everything alright? Back in the Fire Nation, I mean?"

Iroh gave her a reassuring smile, "Nothing that you should concern yourself with, Jin. Just some family business. Now, if you could direct them to my office and tell them I'll be with them in a few minutes, I would greatly appreciate it."

Whatever suspicions the pretty young girl had had when she left, seemed to be erased now. She greeted Makato again and gladly led them back to "Mushi's" office. While there was nothing reminiscent of the Fire Nation, or anything else that might give away who he really was in the office, something about it just surely _felt_ like Iroh. His was such a strong presence that it even seemed to infect his surroundings.

Or it could have been the strong smell of tea and the Pai Sho board sitting in the corner.

The door opened behind them. Makato turned and snapped to attention, saluting Iroh's back as his old general relayed some instruction to the young girl that had led them here.

"...and the Jasmine tea needs to be moved off the fire in another minute."

Iroh closed the door and locked it behind him. He turned around to a still saluting Makato and the three other men who had now taken his lead. Iroh shook his head and laughed.

"I don't think such formalities are necessary toward a humble tea shop owner."

Makato hesitated for a second before dropping his salute.

"Yes, Sir! Sorry, Sir."

Iroh rolled his eyes and shook his head, then changed subjects, directing a question at Makato.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but, as Captain of the palace guard, you're most important duty is to protect the Fire Lord, isn't it? I don't see how you expect to do that from the other side of the world?"

Makato stumbled over his words, desperately trying to explain himself and apologize. Iroh's laughter cut through his consternation.

"You haven't changed a bit. You really need to learn to loosen up a little. You remind me too much of my Nephew."

"Sir, if I could just get to business. You are aware that..."

"Yes, I received Zuko's letter, several of them, in fact. When you return, could you tell him that it's somewhat difficult to hide my identity if I keep receiving high priority letters from the Fire Lord."

"Is that how the girl knew, Sir?" Makato asked, referring to the hostess that had initially treated them so suspiciously.

"You mean Jin. No, she figured me out shortly after I re-opened my tea shop after the war. It would seem that my Nephew's scar is distinctive enough that once pictures of the new Fire Lord started getting posted around the city it didn't take long for her to see one and recognize who he was. You see, she went on a little date with Zuko when we were here last time and she was curious as to why the new Fire Lord was previously working in a Tea Shop."

"So..." Makato furled his brow, "you gave her a job to keep her quiet?"

Iroh laughed. "Oh no, no. Jin is hardly the blackmailing type. I gave her a job because a pretty young serving girl can really help with return business. That, and I found she makes a much better cup of tea than my nephew could. I suppose some things just don't run in the family." He shrugged.

"Anyway," Iroh continued, "I assume you didn't come all this way to reminisce and ask me about my business. Azula has escaped and Zuko sent you here to protect me from her, is that it?"

"Yes, Sir. We've been assigned to you until this crisis is over. The Fire Lord doesn't know what the princess is planning, but he doesn't want to take any chances. Not that he doubts you're abilities Sir, it's just that, well, with the Princess..."

"He knows that Azula would not come at me directly... I fear my Nephew isn't taking his own advice." Iroh stroked his beard, than asked a question he seemingly already knew the answer to. "So, where is my nephew right now?"

"Right now, Sir..." Makato hesitated, not knowing if he should give out that information, but given whom he was speaking to, "he's somewhere in the Earth Kingdom, traveling by airship and trying to track down the Princess himself."

Iroh cringed and sighed.

"If my niece is after anyone, it's Zuko, and I fear that my Nephews impetuous nature is drawing him into a trap."

Iroh thought to himself for a moment.

"I have some business to take care of first, but none of you should bother unpacking. We'll be leaving soon."

"Sir?"

"I want to catch up with my Nephew before Azula does."

Iroh scribbled something down on a sheet of paper, and handed both it and a key to Makato. "Stay here, have some tea, than go and stay at my apartment and wait for me there. You can catch me up on the rest of the details when I arrive there tonight and hopefully we can get going within in the next few days."

Makato was going to protest, but decided it would be useless. Instead, he bowed and ordered his men out the door before him.

Makato was almost out the door before he turned and asked Iroh one last thing, a question that had been on his mind ever since receiving his most recent promotion, something he needed answered.

"Sir, when you recommended me for Captain of the Imperial guard, was it because of Lu Ten?"

Iroh took a second to examine Makato, then after a breath, answered him.

"Yes."

Makato dropped his head, disappointed.

"I... I see."

"I think you misunderstand me," Iroh said.

"I did not choose you simply because you were friends with my son, but because of what you tried to do for him. I heard all about it from the soldiers you saved. They told me that you stayed behind to cover their escape. I even understand that you tried to fight your way through the Earth Kingdom forces to try and recover his body. You sacrificed your own freedom for that of your soldiers, and almost lost your life just so that my son wouldn't be left in enemy territory. Your first reactions were courageous, the former foolish, but both show you to be a man of great integrity and honor. That is why I chose you, because more than anyone else I have ever served with, I couldn't think of a single better man that I would want watching over my nephew in my absence."

Makato was speechless. To have someone like Iroh, someone he'd admired almost his entire life say those things about him, to put that much faith in him, was almost too overwhelming. He was suddenly very aware that he'd not spoken for several seconds and was just standing there glaring at his former General. He tried to stammer out a response as Iroh began to laugh. The old tea shop owner walked over and slapped a hand on Makato's back.

"You really do take yourself far too seriously. Now, go have a seat out there with your men and enjoy some of my delectable teas."

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I actually wrote a little side story that goes into more detail about Jin coming to work at Iroh's. The easiest way to find it is to just click on my profile. (it's the story titled "Our Most Valuable Customer"). Or just go to the story menu and click "Iroh" and "Jin" as the characters.


	32. Chapter 31: Setting the Stage

**Chapter 31**

_Setting the Stage  
_

His headache was back.

Though, to be fair "back" was a bit of a misnomer. It had never really left. Worse was a more apt description. He'd had a dull throbbing at the back of his head for the last couple of days. It was annoying but, for the most part, tolerable. Then, yesterday, when he'd accidentally (and quite literally) run into that watertribe girl, it had gone from a dull, mostly ignorable throb to a steady sting. He actually pictured a tiny miner with a tiny rock pick (a brain pick?) carving little tunnels around the inside of his skull.

Though, truth be told, he wasn't remembering it quite right. The pain hadn't started when he'd run into the girl, but just before that, at roughly the same moment he spotted the Avatar. Though he'd become filled with such an inexplicable fear at the time, he should probably be forgiven for not remembering the exact time his pain in his head flared up.

Ever since then, it had gotten increasingly worse. It wasn't too bad last night - worse than it had been, but he still didn't pay it much attention. This morning, however, he woke up wondering if Azula hadn't spent half the night bouncing rocks of his head. It was an absurd thought of course, but considering whom he was with...

Either way, he didn't think it was a good idea to bring it up. She seemed even more agitated than usual this morning and Yu was a bit impressed that that was even possible. So, he did what he could to ignore the pain and started throwing his stuff back in his pack.

He was almost done when something at the back of the cave caught his eye. He walked over and picked the object up. After what happened last night, flinching away from the heat of the flames after not having felt them for... well, as long as he could remember, he'd forgotten all about it. He looked over the half singed hairpin he'd spent some time carving. The same one Azula had thrown into the fire, which, indecently, had caused him to stick his hand into it in the first place. He spent a few moments admiring his own handiwork before deciding he may as well take it with him. He looked over his shoulder at Azula, who was waiting impatiently just beyond the entrance of the cave.

_I'll just hang onto this until I can find someone who can actually appreciate it._ He turned it over and looked at the Fire Nation insignia already carved into it. _Though, I guess that kind of limits my options..._

"We're burning daylight!" he heard Azula yell, "Get a move on!"

Azula turned her attention away from Yu and back toward the path leading away from the cave. She felt a hand fall on her right shoulder. A set of sharp fingernails lightly tapped across her collarbone while an exceptionally familiar voice whispered in the opposite ear.

"Well, well. You seem a bit more focused today. A little more fire in your eyes. It looks like my little pep talk yesterday did the job?"

"I don't like being manipulated!" Azula spat under her breath.

There was a quick burst of laughter. Azula flinched and pulled her head away from her Other.

"Then perhaps you shouldn't be so good at it. Besides, if that's all it took to get you worked up, then you need my help more than I thought."

"I think I've had enough of your 'help,'" Azula said as she started walking away.

"Have it your way. Good luck handling Zuko by yourself. After all, it worked out _s_o well for you last time."

Azula stopped dead in her tracks. Her fists clenched and her entire face scrunched into a pained scowl. She stood like that, silent and motionless for a few seconds. The only sound filling her ears was her Other's slow and deliberate footsteps walking up behind her. Azula didn't look, but she knew her Other was smiling an arrogant, gleeful little smile. She knew because it's exactly what she would be doing had the situations been reversed. She also knew the girl behind her was right. She'd lost her last confrontation with Zuko. She knew it was her right to rule. Her father had given her that honor. It was her divine right and privilege to bring Zuko to justice and drop the traitor at her feet - the glorious crowning moment of her coronation. She'd been utterly and completely confident, and she'd lost anyway.

Would this time be any different? Could she do this on her own?

Azula took a breath and spoke as her phantom twin came up beside her.

"What's the plan?"

Her Other moved around in front of her and planted a hand on each shoulder. Azula looked up to see her own face starring back at her. Wearing a crooked triumphant smile.

"Good to see you finally coming to your senses. Now, just listen to me and everything's going to be fine."

Her Other tilted her head to the side and looked over Azula's shoulder. Azula didn't need to turn to see what she was looking at. She could hear Yu walking up behind her.

"We'll talk more later," her Other whispered in her ear, "Though I do suggest that you check and make sure everything's in working order with your little friend. If he's losing his powers, then he's no use to us, and there's no use keeping a Pi-Sho tile up your sleeve if it can't be put into play."

"Alright, I'm ready," Yu said from behind her. She turned to look at him, then gave a quick glance back. Her Other was nowhere in sight. Yu started walking past her and down the path.

"Just one moment," she said as she ran up beside him. "Hold out your arm."

Yu lifted his arm, not because Azula ordered it, but because he thought there might be a spider on it or something. Why else would she...

Without any warning, and before he could pull away, she ran a finger down his forearm. Blue flames spat out behind it, erupting from her fingertip like a fire rock striking flint. Yu yelped and yanked his arm away. He looked at her, then to his arm, then back to her.

"What was that for?"

"Did it hurt?" she said without the faintest trace of concern.

"No, but..."

"Let me see."

He held out his arm, ready to pull it away just in case she had anymore experiments in mind. She gave his arm a glance. There was no burn, no singed hair, nothing. Alright, that seemed back to normal. At least as normal as that could be.

"And you're other skills, can you tell where I am?"

He pointed. "You're right there," he said, even though he knew exactly what she meant.

"No you dimwit. That _thing_ you do. Can you feel me?"

As soon as the words left her lips, Yu noticed one of her eyes twitch. She apparently realized what she'd said, but about a second too late. Yu didn't say a thing. He couldn't. His brain was currently locked in desperate a civil war between the overwhelming need to give an appropriately crude and humorous response, and the sincere desire to not get punched in the face. Or worse.

There were a few moments of silence between them. Azula crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. The look on her face was almost challenging him to take advantage of her slip of the tongue, especially since Yu's reddening face and obvious struggle not to laugh left no doubt that he'd heard exactly what she'd said. The harder he struggled to keep from laughing, the bigger the storm brewing behind her eyes grew. Despite every ounce of his survival instinct begging him not to, it only made it that much harder not to laugh.

He turned from her and took a few quick steps away, then bit his tongue, almost hard enough to draw blood. He concentrated on that and tried to forget the look on Azula's face. After a few more seconds he calmed himself but didn't turn around right away. Instead, he went through some elaborate motions, moving his fingers to his temples and holding his hands straight out. He tilted his head up in the air and closed his eyes tightly.

This is what he thought it should look like if he actually had to 'activate' his 'bender sense.' After a few more seconds of this, he said, "Yeah, uh, everything's cool. You're right back there," he gave a little nod of his head.

Azula sat silent for a moment, mulling over a response, but getting angry now would only draw more attention to her slip, and that would be like admitting she'd made a mistake. Better to leave it as is and get on with the day.

Though, allowing his reaction to slide didn't mean she'd be forgetting it. Or forgiving it.

"Fine! Then let's get going," she said as she shoved by him despite there being plenty of room. Before following, he allowed a bit of distance to grow between them just in case his brain still wanted to make his mouth say something stupid.

They spent the better part of the morning scouting paths and looking for... Well, Azula hadn't explained that part yet, so he was pretty much just following her around and keeping his mouth shut. Not that he was still worried about saying anything that would get himself in trouble. He was doing it because those had been her specific instructions. _Follow me and keep your mouth shut_. He'd broken that suggestion a few times already, though that had only been when he thought he heard her talking. So he yelled up to her, wondering what she'd said, only to have her yell at him that she hadn't said anything, which was a lie. He was sure he heard her talking. Just, apparently, not to him. Though in another hour, Azula's increasing propensity of talking to herself would be the least of his concerns.

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Yu was beginning to realize that anything that made Azula happy, made him miserable. No, not miserable: terrified. That's a better word for it. She seemed to have found what she was looking for. Unfortunately, what she was looking for had something to do with an exceptionally narrow path snaking alongside an exceptionally high cliff. He didn't know why they were on it. He only knew that when they found it, Azula mumbled something to herself, got a smile on her face and preceded onto the path with little regard to Yu's protests. Now, here he stood, scootching himself inch by inch along a three foot wide path. A sheer rock face on one side and a very, very steep drop off on the other. Just how far of a drop off, he couldn't really tell. Suffice it to say that if he did slip, he could probably watch his life pass in front of his eyes a few times over before he hit the ground (especially given what little of it he remembered).

He kept his back to the cliff wall, and both palms pressed firmly against the rock behind him. The stone behind him was smooth, almost unnaturally so. It made sliding along the wall much easier, but left him little to hold onto if he were to lose his footing. Despite his best efforts to keep his mind and eyes on the path in front of him, he couldn't help the occasional and accidental peak over the edge. When his eyes shifted from the path to the drop, he felt the muscles in his body clench up. His knees shook and got a bit wobbly, and he could swear he felt his testicles desperately trying crawl back up into his body. All the while, the path itself seemed to shrink while an unseen force pulled him toward the edge.

He'd have to look up and press his back against the cool stone behind him, then take a few breaths until the vertigo passed. Once it did, he'd steel himself and press on, making a mental note to _not_ to do that again, only to unintentionally repeat the entire process a few minutes later.

This is how Yu spent his afternoon.

Azula, on the other hand, wasn't having nearly the experience Yu was (most especially that testicle thing.) She walked along the treacherously narrow path as confidently as she would have walked down the hallways of the royal palace.

"Well," her Other said from just ahead. Azula saw her peering over the ledge down into the valley below. "This is certainly promising. Are you seeing what I'm seeing? Just like we thought, we're not the first one to think this was a good place for an ambush."

Azula didn't bother looking down. She'd seen them earlier, the bodies at the bottom of the canyon, or at least what was left of them. Bits and pieces of armor, tattered scraps of cloth and occasional sun bleached bones littered the valley floor. Every now and then, she could make out an intact set of armor, as though it were still trying to protect the skeleton inside from the elements as a way to make up for its failure to save its owner while he was alive.

The other thing she noticed is that every bit and piece she could make out was Fire Nation. Every last one of them. She didn't dwell on it long. She'd already pieced together what had happened here. As her Other had mentioned, this wasn't a natural path. It was a death trap.

One earthbender with a bit of patience and skill could wipe out entire patrols singlehandedly. Pull the path into the mountainside and let the troops fall, or move the wall out and shove the soldiers to their doom. Either way would have worked. Only a fool or a sadist would have kept sending more men, but from the look of things below, that's exactly what had happened. Not surprising really. She'd mingled her father's generals and commanders enough to know there was a fair share of both.

A more sentimental person might have taken a moment to lament the sacrifice these soldiers gave to their country, but then, a more sentimental person probably wouldn't be planning her brother's death. And as that went, things were starting to look promising. While she didn't have the appropriate type of bending skill to properly utilize the death trap she was walking on. Confirming what it was used for gave her hope that she would find more tactical opportunities up ahead.

If there was an "up ahead."

She rounded a bend to see the path in front of her disappear. It just stopped dead, leading over an edge into a straight drop to the valley floor below. She was about to curse her luck when she it dawned on her that the path didn't end. It just shifted direction. There was a gorge cut into the side of the mountain. The path took a sharp left into the gorge, twisting and winding its way down its side until it met the valley floor, passed beneath a waterfall, then worked its way back up the other side of the gorge and rose above where she could see. The only way to see where it led was to follow it. So she did.

Down the path, behind the waterfall, then back up the other side. When she reached the very top, which was much higher on this side than the other, the path came to an end and melded back into the natural surroundings. There was a large cave opening to her left, a large open area lined by a cliff to her right. She opted to peer over the cliff before exploring anything else.

The ground near the cliff's edge sloped upward. As a result, and because the path on the other side of the valley was so much lower, she had to practicably walk to the edge before she could even look down on the path she'd just been on. Yu was only now making his way around the bend that she had at first thought was a dead end. As she took a few moments to watch him make his way down into the valley, the frustration and anger she'd been harboring all morning began fade. Almost like the sands draining in an hour glass. Azula felt herself relax and a smile spread across her lips.

This was perfect.

She lifted her hand and extended two fingers. Pointing them directly at Yu. Dodging an attack on such a narrow path would be almost impossible. Even better though, thanks to the twisting path curving its way around the contours of the gorge. His back was exposed to her most of the way down. She imagined the lightning leaping from her fingertips. Dancing across the gorge in the blink of an eye and striking him in the back. He'd be dead before he was even aware of the danger.

She lowered her hand and smiled even wider.

Zuko can't redirect lightning if he doesn't know its coming.

_I knew this place was promising. _

She turned her attention to the cave behind her. Unlike the cramped and shallow cave she'd spent the previous night in, this was gaping and cavernous. The mouth was easily five times her height and even in the broad daylight she couldn't see to the back. That was all fine and good, but she did see something that concerned her. The path didn't just dead end here at this cliff and cave, but continued on into a small woods just around the other side of the cave.

An ambush wouldn't work if there were two ways in. She had reason to believe there wasn't. The earthbenders had obviously expended some effort into making this area as defensible as possible. The cave itself was probably home to several dozen, if not more, of Yenrai's citizens during the war. If anything, the path leading back into the woods was probably little more than a hunting trail, so that these Earth Kingdom savages could keep themselves fed during their stay. Either way, she planned on making a full investigation of the area before deciding to make her stand.

Almost on cue, Yu finally appeared up this side of the path and stopped where it opened up. Bent over and breathing heavy, he asked if they were taking a break. Azula said that she already had and told him that he'd missed his chance. That perhaps he shouldn't be so slow next time. She explained that he could rest (maybe) after they explored the path leading beyond the cave.

Yu sighed and followed.

The path wound through about a quarter mile of trees before opening into a clearing surrounding a small lake. The water was crystal clear, probably fed by an underground mountain spring. Azula surmised that this probably fed the waterfall she'd passed under earlier. At least this took care of the water needs. She had Yu make a sweep of the surrounding area, making sure there were no other paths or caves, or any other possible entrances that led into this area other than the one they'd taken to get here. She didn't really think it was necessary to make that last point, but this was Yu.

Within twenty minutes, Yu came crashing out through the thick brambles and bushes on the other side of the lake. He spotted Azula and waved his arms at her to get her attention, as though she hadn't already seen him.

"Is he afraid we won't see him among all the other people over there?" Azula's Other asked from beside her.

Azula shook her head. "At least you get to pop in and out whenever you feel like it. I have to put up with that idiocy on a constant basis."

He jogged his way around the lake. He stopped to sit on a rock and catch his breath. He looked up and shot Azula a smile.

"So, you come around here often?"

Azula whispered to her Other, "Remind me again why we haven't killed him yet?"

Her Other shrugged, "I could have sworn that was your decision."

Azula cut past his foolishness and got straight to business. "What did you find?"

Yu look up from pulling twigs, leaves, and burrs from his clothes. "Trees and bushes ...and thorns," he said as he yanked a few burrs from his forearm, and started picking a bunch more from his clothes.

"...and then more trees. Oh, and then some rocks and a big cliff. Trust me; I'm pretty sure there's no way in except the way we came."

"Pretty sure? Pretty sure!" She stormed over to where he sat and loomed over him. She did this mainly so he wouldn't get a chance to stand up. It was something else she didn't like about him. He was a full head taller than her, and she was becoming acutely aware of how much it bothered her that, when addressing him, she had to look up.

As she glowered down at him, he reacted with an innocent what-did-I-do-now look.

"You seem to not grasp the gravity of the situation we find ourselves in. This is not a vacation. This is not some child's game of hide-and-go-seek. I do not enjoy trudging through the muck, sleeping outdoors, eating like a wild animal and worst of all, feeling like a common peasant. I am not giving you these orders to hear myself talk!"

"You do have a nice voice though," Yu interrupted.

"I..." Azula skipped a beat, "...Shut up," and then continued, "I am telling you to do these things because there are precautions that must be taken in order for my plans to be put into motion. Those plans fail if my orders are not followed with precision. So I will ask you once again, are you sure there is no other passage in, or are you just pretty sure?"

"I'm almost sure."

"Well almost isn't good enough."

Yu shifted away from her and stood up.

"You need to loosen up a bit," he said, reaching for her shoulders.

She snatched one of his fingers between two of her own and held it fast. She gave it a slight twist, just enough to act as a warning, and it did its job. He tried to yank his hand away but stopped as she stared him dead in the eyes.

"Need I remind you of what happened last time you tried to touch me?"

She let go and Yu backed off. As Azula continued her speech, he couldn't help but think that saying she wasn't talking just to hear herself speak didn't seem entirely truthful. On the contrary, she seemed to revel in it.

"Need I remind you that all this is not exclusively for my benefit alone? Once I have set things right with my brother. I will be more than happy to give you exactly what you deserve." She couldn't help but allow a slight smirk as the last words slipped across her lips.

Yu looked down at the ground. He took a breath of two, as though pondering her words, then lifted his head and looked at her for a second.

"Wait, so why are we out here again?"

Azula gritted her teeth as her fingers balled into fists. Yu waved his hands at her.

"I'm joking, I'm joking. Calm down."

Azula wasn't laughing. His 'jokes' weren't funny, and she wasn't calming down. He still wasn't taking this seriously. Time to fix that.

"Do you have any idea what Earth Kingdom soldiers do to their prisoners? _Do you!_ Let me tell you, it's not pretty. They'll encase you in stone so you can't move. Not on your own at any rate. They'll use that rock encasement to restrict your breathing and blood flow at will, twisting your limbs in all sorts of incredibly painful and unnatural ways. Or they'll pin you to the ground, wrap your hands and feet in rock and slowly pull you apart until your joints are ready to pop, and then raise a mound of the earth under your spine until you can feel the individual vertebrates began to separate. I've even heard they sometimes force their captives to swallow stones, then they... Well, I'll let your imagination have fun with that one. But whatever they choose to do, they won't do it quick. Days and weeks will pass by and you'll spend every second of it suffering. You're only moments of peace will come when you pass out to a symphony of your own screams or when they become momentarily bored of listening to your pathetic whimpers. Either way, those brief respites it won't last long. Just long enough for them to think of more ways to play with you. And if you think I'm making any of this up, I'll be more than happy to show you the war reports when I'm back in the palace. Now, do you want to go back and make a more thorough sweep of this area? or are you satisfied with 'pretty sure?'"

Yu opened his mouth for a second, but didn't yet make any noise. Azula was happy to see that some of the color had drained from his face, and there was no longer any hint of that goofy grin he'd been wearing a few moments ago.

"Tell you what," Yu stammered, "I think I'm gonna go check around the parameter again. One more time. Just to be sure."

"Please do," she said pleasantly.

Azula turned and started to walk away. When she was almost to the tree line, he yelled something to her.

"By the way, have I mentioned that you're kinda scary sometimes, and by 'some' I mean most of it?"

She looked back over her shoulder. "That's very sweet of you, but flattery isn't going to relieve you from your task," she said dismissively, hoping that was the end of it. Ever since this morning, every word he spoke wore on her. This was no different.

After a pause, he yelled back, "...and it doesn't help when you consider that a compliment!"

Azula stopped, then slowly turned around. He was already walking away, but she set her glare on him anyway. She finally realized that it wasn't what he was saying that was really bothering her (as idiotic as most of it was), but _how_ he he was talking to her. There was just something about the tone of this voice, it was just all too... too... _casual._

Yes that was it, that's what was bothering her. He talked to her almost as if... as if he were _comfortable_ around her.

...and it infuriated her!

No one talked to her like that- not even Mai and Ty Lee. Oh, they would put on a good show, playing the roles Azula assigned them, pretending to be her friends, but Azula knew the truth. As much as they tried to hide it, she could always sense the anxiety in their voices- the way they tensed up whenever she was near. Not that it bothered her. She was actually quite used to it. It's how everyone treated her, and she liked it, thrived on it even. Everyone, that was, except _him!_

Despite it, she did what she could to keep her cool and headed back to the cave. Once there, she walked out toward the cliff and looked over its edge down to the path across the valley.

She pictured Zuko, guards in front and behind, making his way along the path. No matter how many men he had with him, they would still be forced to walk single file. The path itself twisted and jogged in such a serpentine path down the valley wall that she could picture several opportunities to strike. One lightning bolt, dead to the back. That's all it would take.

She smiled. If she were lucky, they might be packed tight enough together that one bolt could take them all out.

That is, if she could do it.

The memory of yesterday flooded into her mind as her smile faded. She looked down at her own hand, and noticed it was trembling a bit. She clenched her fist and closed her eyes. She'd failed at it yesterday. She couldn't do it. The energy didn't feel right. It exploded in her face, throwing her off her feet, burning her clothes and her hair.

She opened her eyes and looked across the valley again, then widened her stance. After a deep breath, her arms began their practiced circular motion. She felt the energy build at her fingertips...

She stopped. She straightened up and balled her shaking fist again, ignoring it the best she could.

No. Not right now. She would practice tomorrow. There's still much to do; no need to worry about this now. Besides, there was still one big problem at hand. How to draw Zuko in? What could she do to lure him here?

She couldn't have known it then, but it was something she need not worry about. For by this night's end, she'd have the whole of the Earth Kingdom's attention, including that of a certain Fire Lord, focused towards her location.


	33. Chapter 32: The Fire Inside

**Good news everybody!**

_(and I sincerely hope you read that in Farnsworth's voice.)_

First of all, I'd like to thank all my readers for sticking with this story over it's rather tumultuous update history. I know there's been times when it seemed like I was never gonna get to the next chapter (I think I went about 6 months without an update at one point), and regardless of that, a lot of you have stuck with this.

Thank you all very much.

Now, I don't want to get into too may details, but over the last year I've switched between a few jobs, a few states, and a few cars as well. That's why updates become so infrequent and sporadic. That's all behind me and I've gotten my life stable once again. More importantly, I've found I've found both a place to write (I have trouble doing so at home) and, more importantly, the time and drive to do so once again.

Ok, yeah. That's great an all, but what does that mean to me you ask?

(and if you didn't, just pretend you did.)

What that means is that, from here on out till the end of the story, I promise updates will come in weeks instead of months (which you'll be thankful for given the end of this chapter, trust me). I'm confident that I can maintain a schedule of updating once every two weeks. I actually have the next two chapters almost finished, so that gives me some good lead time to maintain that schedule.

Alright, enough of my rambling. Chapter ahoy!

* * *

**Chapter 32**

The Fire Inside

As soon as Azula was gone he made a beeline for the lake and plunged his head into the cold water. It was freezing cold and painful on his skin, but preferable to the throbbing in his head. The pain in his head dulled as the ache in his lungs grew. After a few more moments he yanked his head out and shook the water out of his hair. He actually laughed a bit as he pictured himself doing this. If Azula was here she'd no doubt compare him with some kind of barnyard animal. He sat down on the grass and rolled onto his back. Any water still left clinging to his hair and face dripped down into the grass and soaked into his shirt. His ears were numb and his face was freezing, but at least his headache was, well... not as bad at least.

Though, whether that was a result of the cold water actually doing anything or him just not noticing it anymore because his face was freezing, he didn't really know, and to be honest, didn't much care. He'd take the cold face over his throbbing headache. Although repeated onsets of cranial hypothermia probably wasn't the best cure for headaches, either way, it worked for now.

He pressed his thumbs into his temples and that helped somewhat to quiet the remaining sting. After a few more moments of lying there, he kicked himself up and started to search the area again as per Azula's instructions.

Azula...

He looked back in the direction of the large cave they were apparently going to be staying in... well, where _she_ was going to be staying at least. He'd be sleeping outside, a good distance away, as was the usual arrangement. It made sense, what with the whole bursting into flames thing he had going on. Though he suspected that, even if that wasn't an issue, he probably wouldn't be sleeping any closer to her.

He stopped and rubbed his temples again, although this time it had little to do with the headache.

_Woah! Ok. Where's my head going with that? Focus on the task at hand, brain. You need to figure a way to get her back to that hospital. Not thinking about... other things._

He stopped rubbing his temples and sighed.

_Not that I'm any closer to figuring that out either._

On the contrary, he seemed to be moving further and further away from that goal, both literally and figuratively, with each passing day. He'd had the perfect opportunity with the avatar, but he blew it. He _should_ have let her get captured by those guards back in... whatever that town was called (his headache was already returning.) Though, at that time, he had no idea just how... _off_ she was. Talking to herself, the erratic behavior, that whole story about her brother, and then there was this place. She talked about getting her brother to confess to his crimes, but _here_? This seemed more like a hiding place than anything else. How was she even expecting to be found?

Nothing about any of this seemed... sane.

And he was going right along with it all because he couldn't think of a single way to bring her in, or talk her down or whatever it was he needed to do.

Yu sat down in the grass and flopped onto his back. He stared up at the passing clouds. The clouds seemed to be getting thicker as the day drew on.

"Damn," he said aloud, "What am I gonna do?"

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Azula walked into the cave and started examining her surroundings. She had the location set, the attack planned out. Now, she just had to make sure Yu lived up to his part of the bargain. Then, once his role was fulfilled...

That pang of doubt tugged at the dark recesses of her mind once again - the same sliver that jabbed at her every time she reached this particular part of her scheme.

"Maybe because it's a bit too cold-blooded, even for you."

Azula should have been startled, but she wasn't. At this point, she was no longer questioning voices or where they were coming from. Getting shocked by these things was just getting too exhausting. The silhouette of her mother's form moved out from the shadows, almost as if the darkness itself was giving birth to her. Azula drew in a long breath and closed her eyes, preparing herself for another nerve-wracking conversation.

"Cold blooded, Mother? Did you miss the part where I've spent every second of every day for the last few weeks planning my own brothers death, and you think it's the inconsequential death of some random peasant that should somehow bother me?"

"Yes, I do. As terrible as your plans for your brother are, you can, in your own way, justify it. You hate him, you blame him, you want vengeance. This boy, however, has done nothing to earn that wrath. He's done nothing but try and help you. In fact, I believe he even considers you a friend."

Azula smiled. "And what of it? In case you haven't been paying attention, and since I'm not Zuko I can assume you haven't, this isn't exactly new to me. I've been doing this my whole life, and I love it. It's my divine right as princess of the Fire Nation. I'll use whoever I want, however I want, and once Yu's purpose is served, I'll dispose of him. Business as usual."

"But it does make it more difficult now that you understand how it feels, doesn't it."

Azula gave a dismissive shrug and started walking away. "Yes, that trouble with Mai and Ty Lee. It bothered me. I'll admit that. But not anymore. I'm over it."

"That's not what I was talking about and you know it."

"I'm really not interested in hearing what you think you know. I'm done talking with you." Azula turned to her, but she was gone. At the same time, she heard Ursa's voice again from further behind her. "You may be done, but I'm not. You came here to force a confrontation didn't you? So did I."

Ursa face was longer a motherly mask of compassion and concern (a look Azula had come to despise). Instead, she was glaring at her daughter sternly - the way she'd done many times in the past after Azula had done something she didn't approve of (like the time she'd set Zuko's top knot on fire). Azula was a bit taken back at first but regained her composure quickly.

"You..." Azula gave her mother a sideways look, "...want to fight me?" She laughed.

"No Azula, not exactly," Ursa moved past her and looked out of the cave. Azula was a bit confused. Her mother offered a confrontation then immediately backed down. It could be a trick. She kept herself on guard.

"I see you've picked out the perfect spot for your intentions," Ursa said. Azula detected a subtle hint of sarcasm. Intrigued, but cautious, she pressed.

"'For my intentions'... ?" Azula asked.

Ursa turned back to her daughter.

"Not an easy place to find, is it? In fact, so difficult that I would question how someone as smart as you would think this a practical spot for an ambush."

"That's the point. It's something called strategy mother. If Zuko doesn't have to work to find me, it would seem suspicious. The more he suspects, the more on guard he'll be, and the more difficult the ambush. If, however, I dig myself in so that it seems like I have no intention of being found, then Zuko will wander in confident that I expect no one. Then I strike him down when he least suspects it."

Ursa closed her eyes and lowered her head.

"You have no intention of being found. This obsession with Zuko is a smokescreen, a distraction, something to keep your mind from wandering back to the more disturbing truths you'd rather not focus on."

Azula rolled her eyes and walked away. Just as she thought, "More nonsense disguised as motherly advice in another pathetic attempt to save your precious little Zuzu. I'm insulted at how transparent you've become. I guess the brains really do come from Father's side."

"You told Mai that she should have feared you more, because you were taught that was how to inspire loyalty, but it wasn't enough, was it."

Azula stopped in her tracks.

"Mai's love for Zuko, and Ty Lee's concern for her friend. Fear wasn't stronger than either of those. That's where the seed of doubt started, wasn't it. A terrible unthinkable thing that ate at the back of your mind like parasite."

"Not another word," Azula hissed at her mother.

"It's not something you can ignore either. Once a thought takes root, it's there whether you wish it to be or not..."

"ENOUGH!" Azula screamed.

She was so overtaken with fury that she didn't even try to firebend. Instead she scooped a rock off the ground and reeled back to toss it at her mother, but as she cocked her arm for the throw, she felt a hand close on her wrist.

"Temper temper," she heard her own voice.

Azula snapped her head aside and looked into her own face smiling back at her.

"You're playing right into her hands. Stop being so simple."

Her Other plucked the rock out of Azula's hand and dropped it on the ground then turned to Ursa. "That will be enough, Mother. You're not needed here anymore."

Ursa paid her Other little attention and kept speaking directly to Azula, "This isn't just about Mai and Ty Lee either. The more energy you put into running from this, the more it's going to tear you apart."

"I asked nicely, Mother," Azula's Other said. There was no hint of politeness in her voice this time, forced or otherwise. This was a threat. She took a step in front of Azula, like she was shielding her. "You should leave, now, before I have to get more persuasive."

Azula moved around her. She didn't need someone to protect her and she was offended that her Other seemed to think she did. It was demeaning. She wasn't some weakling. Her Other stuck out an arm and blocked Azula from walking past her.

"No need for you to get involved. I have this..."

Azula batted it out of the way. "I'm the one in charge here, understand that! I may take your advice but I will not take your orders!" Azula strode past her, casting a harsh glance as she past. If her mother wanted a confrontation, she wasn't going to back down.

A hand clamped down on Azula's shoulder (A hand? No. It felt more like a claw.) She was yanked backward and slammed against the wall of the cave. A forearm at her throat pinned her in place. She struggled against it but she couldn't budge.

"I'm done playing games with you. You're mine and you _will_ listen to me. Do you understand that?" The eyes that starred back at Azula were no longer her own but that of a serpent. The face itself seemed to shift and change. Azula felt something sharp dig into her shoulder, and when she looked over, she saw that it really was a claw - the blue scaled claw of a dragon. She looked back to what should have been her own face, but that was no longer human either. She was staring into the face of a dragon covered in the same blue scales as the claw in her shoulder. The writhing coils of its serpentine body seemed to melt out of the cave walls and emerge from the darkness.

"Your mother's words are weak and frail. She is powerless to help you and I grow tired of you seeking her advice!"

"I haven't..." Azula struggled to free the words from her throat.

"Then why is she here?" the Dragon growled back at her.

She heard her mother's voice fill the cave, echoing off the walls. She'd never been more thankful for it.

"Azula, the blue dragon has always dominated your path, but you don't need to give in to. You have a choice Azula."

The Dragon pinning Azula against the wall let go, and shot after her mother. Azula fell to her knees and gasped for breath. When she looked up, her mother was nowhere to be seen. Instead, she was witnessing a battle between two dragons. The blue dragon, large and powerful, threw around a smaller, weaker looking red dragon. They twisted around each other, snapping and biting, clawing and struggling. The blue dragon held the obvious advantage. It almost seemed to be toying with the red. Despite this, the red dragon fought back with a fearsome, if not futile determination.

As soon as Azula was on her feet the two dragons stopped with each other and refocused their attention back to Azula. They shot through the air and coiled themselves around her. She couldn't move, trapped and squeezed between the intertwining bodies of the two dragons. They each spoke in turn and Azula couldn't do anything but listen.

Her own voice seeped from the mouth of the blue dragon.

"It's getting late," the blue dragons words sank into her, like a drug or a poison. She felt herself slipping. The coils moved across her body, caressing her. "You should sleep now."

She thought she heard her mother's voice, the red dragon's voice, but couldn't make out the words. They were too far away, and it took too much effort to listen. The blue dragon's voice was closer, clearer and far more comfortable. "Relax, Azula. Just let go, give into it. Shut your eyes for awhile."

She felt herself relax. Far away, the red dragon yelled for her, and even though it was screaming, to Azula it sounded like a whisper, the words melting into unintelligible gibberish.

Her mother's voice was gone. Azula felt herself enveloped in the coils of the blue dragon. Warm and comforting. Surrounded by darkness, she felt herself begin to fall. The coils released around her, along with any sense of comfort and warmth. She started sinking into the floor of the cave like it was quicksand. She scrambled to pull herself out, but that only made it worse. An inky blackness moved up her body, swallowing her into it. She kept struggling against it, trying to free herself, but it was useless. Darkness snaked up her arms and wormed across her face. In another moment, the cave disappeared from her vision, and she was falling through nothingness.

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It was dark by the time Yu made his way back to the cave. As Azula had heavily suggested, he'd made a thorough sweep of the area surrounding the lake and found exactly what he had the first time: nothing. Once he was done with that he figured he might as well return with some food. He tried his hand at crafting a fish spear thing. Up until now he'd just been tying a line and hook onto a stick. It worked fine, and he didn't have any particular reason for changing techniques other than he wanted to. Plus, just the idea of crafting the spear appealed to him.

It was easier then he'd expected, especially since he'd never made one before (though he couldn't be sure of that). Either way, he'd apparently done it right because he ended up spearing enough fish that he had to take his shirt off and use it to carry them all (he made a mental note that he really _really _needed to wash this thing before throwing it back on). Even as it started getting dark, the crystal clear lake water allowed him to continue hunting up until the sun had sunk below the horizon.

Once he lost his light, he bundled the fish into his shirt the best he could. It became immediately obvious that he'd caught more fish than he could carry in one load, and way more than they could eat in one meal. He should have stopped after four or five, but he was distracted. It wasn't because of his headache either (which was still getting harder and harder to ignore.) The entire time he was fishing, he kept trying to think of solutions to his problems with Azula. He lost himself in that. Seventeen fish later, he was no closer to an answer.

He looked at the left over pile of fish he couldn't fit in the shirt-sack.

"Sorry guys. Guess I got carried away."

He noticed a family of badgercoons peaking out from some nearby bushes. He picked up a fish and tossed it in that direction and it was immediately attacked and devoured. Well, at least the fish wouldn't go to waste. He threw the sack over his shoulder, leaving the rest of the fish for the animals, and headed back to the cave.

Night had set in quick, and the pitch darkness between the trees didn't make finding his way back to the cave easy. It took roughly three or four minutes to walk from the cave to the lake. It took Yu roughly forty to find his way back (and that was after accidentally winding up back at the lake twice).

The moon had just started to rise when he found the clearing by the cave and it was casting the only light he could see with. Because of that, his eyes were locked on the ground directly in front of his feet, and he was busy avoiding tripping over rocks and such. Because of that, he didn't notice Azula lying on the cave floor until she made a noise.

A soft whimper immediately caught his attention, startling him a bit. His eyes shot around and then picked up on Azula's prone silhouette in the moon glow. A squishy wet 'plop' accompanied a shirt full of fish smacking against the ground. As Yu ran over to Azula, fish oozed out from the shirt in such a way as to look like the blossoming of the least pleasant smelling flower ever.

Yu kneeled down next to her to make sure she was ok. She was breathing rapidly, and her face was covered in sweat. Yu wasn't sure what to do. At first he thought to wake her, but if she was sick it might be better to let her rest, even if it was fitful. He was well aware that she wasn't getting much sleep and maybe she'd just passed out due to exhaustion. He thought for a moment that leaving her be might be the best idea, but the noises she was making... Whatever dream she was having wasn't a happy one. Her brow furled, she'd mumble a bit more, then a whimper. She shook her head violently and Yu jumped back a bit, thinking that she was waking up, but she didn't. She settled, then her eyes began tear up and slowly trail down the sides of her face.

That was that. Even if she was exhausted, and even if it wasn't the best decision for her health, and possibly his own, he couldn't deal with seeing her like this. He needed to wake her up. Maybe if he got her somewhere more comfortable, she could have a more pleasant sleep. He lifted his hand to pat her on the cheek when the cave suddenly and inexplicably got brighter. He looked around for the light source, more than a bit confused, and then found were it was coming from.

His hand was glowing. Red hot and hovering only a few inches from Azula's face.

He scrambled back in a panic, stumbling to push himself to his feet. The damp floor of the cave sizzled and smoked wherever his hand came into contact with the ground. Both hands went from red to white, and the glow crept up his arms. He placed one hand on his knee to help himself stand and that pant leg immediately burst into flames. He looked down at the flames and felt a lump in the pit of his stomach. He almost touched Azula with that hand.

His chest began to burn from the inside, and his headache doubled in intensity. It almost felt like someone screaming inside his brain.

He stumbled to his feet and tried to gain his balance as it felt like his entire body was being attacked from the inside out. He ran out of the cave as fast as he could, and kept running even when he was clear. Something bad was about to happen, and he wanted to put as much distance between himself and Azula as possible.

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Azula was falling through darkness so thick she couldn't even see her own hands. She only knew she was falling because she could feel it. There was no wind blowing through her hair, ruffling her clothes. In fact, there was no sensation at all to tell her she was falling. She only knew that she was. She could feel herself being pulled down.

Or... or was she.

There was something cold beneath her. She was sitting. Not falling. It was still dark, but not so much that she couldn't make out vague shapes. There was the outline of a bench, possibly walls around her. Her hands were behind her back and she couldn't move them. Restraints. She heard a noise from in front of her. It sounded like metal sliding across metal. More light entered the room. She lifted her head and squinted through the darkness. A pair of eyes was looking at her through a small slot in the metal door to her cell. One eye was burnt and only half open.

"Zuko!" she spat the name as though it left a bitter taste in her mouth. "What are you doing here?"

"I've been here for a while, hoping that you'd come around. I told you before that I want to help."

Azula barked out a laugh, "I thought I could at least find some peace in my dreams." She turned away and tried to ignore Zuko. In fact, she was trying to think this whole place away. You were supposed to be able to do that in dreams right? Change them to suit you if you knew they were dreams. Annoyingly, nothing seemed to change. She was even forced to endure Zuko's voice again.

"I've been listening outside your cell. I've heard you talking to Mother. There was something about a boy made of fire, or that catches on fire, or something like that, and just now you were screaming something about you and mother turning into dragons... and you think _this_ is the dream?"

Azula shifted herself on the floor so that her back was to him. Then she closed her eyes and held her breath. Maybe that would wake her up. If you held your breath in a dream, did your actual body hold its breath? Guess she'd find out.

"Azula, please, stop this. I can't help you if you don't _want_ to be helped. At least that's what the doctors said."

She let out her breath and shifted around again.

"Finally, something we can come to terms on then. That's right, dear brother, I _don't _want your help. Though if you really want to make me feel better, then perhaps you could do me the favor of finding your way to an early grave?"

The metal plate slammed shut. Good, Azula thought, until she heard the screech of metal hinges as the door started to open. Zuko walked in then closed the door behind him. She heard it lock from the outside. She tried to lunge at him, even if this was a dream, she still wanted to feel his body break beneath her fists. She could at least have that satisfaction. Though, when she tried to tear herself from the ground, she was yanked back and slammed her tailbone into the cold stone floor. It seemed that her hands weren't just shackled together, but attached to something. Whether chained to the floor or the wall, she couldn't tell. All that mattered was she couldn't attack. So she'd have to listen to Zuko prattle on about honor or forgiveness.

Perhaps this was hell.

Zuko walked over and stood before her. He spoke sternly, and even seemed a little angry.

"Alway the 'perfect' one huh... Is that what this is all about? You can't ask for help because then you'd have to admit you may have been wrong. You've spent your whole life pushing people away, making sure that no one gets close to you. Well, look it where it got you," Zuko opened his arms at the cell around her, "Congratulations, here's your kingdom."

Zuko shook his head as he looked down on her.

"Though I guess everyone was right about you being a prodigy. After all, it took Dad his whole life to earn the exact same thing. You really excelled at his lessons."

She jerked at the chains again.

"You're just jealous that he loved me and not you."

Zuko groaned. He turned and took a few steps away. To Azula's disappointment, he didn't leave. He turned back around, looking more fed up than ever, then started spouting his frustration.

"Love? When our cousin died, he only saw that as an opportunity! You know he used our mother in some plot to kill grandfather,_ his own father,_ then had her exiled! Oh yeah, and mom only did that because the alternative was letting him kill me, his own son. Guess he still didn't get it out of his system, cause he still did _this,_" Zuko jabbed a finger at his scar. He was almost yelling at her now, "...and banished me just because I stated an opinion! Damn it, Azula, he's not capable of loving anyone! Why can't you see that!"

Azula exploded into a flurry of furious motion. She tore at her chains, trying desperately to throw herself at Zuko. She pushed at the ground trying to rip her hands through the shackles. She heard the screaming of a mad woman fill her cell, without even realizing it was coming from her. Zuko didn't react at all. He just stood there waiting for her to calm down. That made Azula all the more furious. She threw herself onto her side and tried kicking at him with her legs. She yanked at the chains some more, and weakly thrashed against her bonds in one last burst of energy, then lay there, exhausted. In one last pathetic gesture, she tried to spit at him, but couldn't even work up the saliva.

She tried to respond, but instead of words she only let out a sob. She hadn't even realized she was crying until now. She twisted herself on the ground to hide her face. She didn't care that he saw it, but couldn't stand watching him watch her. It was his pity that hurt the most. She had never wanted to kill him more than she did right now.

"Listen to me, Azula. There are people that care about you. I wouldn't be here if I didn't. Mom loves you as well..."

She thrashed and kicked at him again. She tried to summon flame, but nothing would come. She struggled like an animal fighting for its life. Her screams were incoherent babbling. She kicked at him, spit at him, turned around and tried to yank her chains from the wall. A link in the chain started to stress and pull apart. A spark of hope. She pulled harder, almost had it...

She was knocked off her feet by an explosion.

She woke up lying on the cave floor, disoriented at first, and not entirely sure where she was. Did the explosion knock her out? What caused it anyway? Was Zuko still here? Her hands where free; had she broken free from the shackles?

The sting of dust in her eyes brought her fully awake. She swore and rubbed her eyes. Her face was wet with tears. She looked down at her lap once her eyes were clear and saw more dust settling on her clothes. In fact, dust was hanging in the air around her, still slowly falling to the ground. A few rocks finished rolling down the cave walls and came to a rest. Now that she was fully awake it only took her a few seconds to figure out that the explosion hadn't been in her dream. It had woken her from it. And it had been strong enough to rock the entire cave.

Wait a minute... Wasn't it night out? How could she see this all so well? There was an awful lot of light filtering into the cave. She looked outside, at first thinking that maybe she'd slept the whole night away, but, while it was bright outside, it certainly wasn't from sunlight.

Orange and yellows danced across the ground, covering every square inch of ground outside in its pulsing light. Shadows at the edge of the cave entrance shifted and jumped into the cave as if trying to escape. That was the light of a fire, and certainly not a small one. She jumped to her feet and ran outside, expecting to see the forest on fire, but nothing could have prepared her for what was awaiting her.

It wasn't a forest fire, and even if it was, it would have paled in comparison to the light's true source.

Her hair was being blown back by a hot wind. Birds flew from the trees in a panic, quickly followed on the ground by innumerable rodents, lizards and other small creatures. Out of the corner of her eye she even caught a family of Mountain Goatalope's bounding out of the trees and heading away from the forest. She paid as little attention to the animals as they did to her. Some scurried directly over her feet in their panicked flee. Azula was half tempted to join them, but she was rooted to the spot. She'd never witnessed anything like this, her body was actually shaking.

The forest itself was aglow with a blazing white light, but that wasn't the focus of her attention. Out from the middle of the forest, in roughly the same area the lake would be (if she had to guess), extended a pillar of flame, reaching into the sky, towering above the trees and burning a hole through the clouds. Even as she watched, the clouds continued to peel away from the intrusion like snow melting away from a fire. She watched the rift widen and the sky open up beyond it, but no hint to the pillars end revealed itself. It seemed as though the planet itself were breathing fire into heavens.

She wanted to run, but she couldn't pull her eyes from it. As a firebender, the natural fear of fire shared by all creatures had been trained out of her long ago.

It was back, and she had never been filled with more dread and awe in her life.

She felt as though she were witnessing the end of the world.


	34. Chapter 33: Fire in the Sky

**Chapter 33**

_Fire in the Sky_

The Fire Lord's Chamber was nothing more than a hastily converted Captain's quarters, meaning that the sheets covering the hard mattress had been replaced with fancier ones, embroidered in red and gold. That, and "The Fire Lord's Chamber" had actually been painted (very nicely, at least) on the outside of the heavy steel door of the room.

Zuko was in no position to complain. Sure, he was the Fire Lord, but he had only given them one day to make the ship flight ready. Anything beyond that was something to be thankful for. Though, right now, he was not really in a thankful mood. This mission was not going as well as he'd hoped. Fact was, it didn't seem to be going anywhere at all.

"I'm beginning to think this may have been a bad idea," Zuko said, lying under the embroidered covers, Mai pressed up next to him. The bed was only meant for one person, though that didn't seem to bother either of them.

"I expected _something_ by now. A hint, a clue, anything!"

"...and how many years did it take you to find the Avatar?" Mai asked wryly.

"Not funny," Zuko glared.

"Wasn't trying to be. Just pointing out that you're expectations sometimes have strong disagreements with reality."

"If you were so sure I wasn't going to find anything, why didn't you say something? If you were so sure this was a bad idea why did you come along?"

"First of all, I was pretty sure I _did_ say something about this being a bad idea..." Mai said, propping herself up on an elbow and balancing herself with the other hand on his chest, "...but I knew you were going to go anyway, which would leave me sitting around the palace all by myself. This is at least more interesting," she gave a shrug, finishing her thought, "though... not by much."

A pounding at the door startled both of them. There was no wait for a response and a panicked voice yelled from the other side.

"Fire Lord! Sir! We need you out here now! You need to see this!"

Zuko was out of bed and to the door before the last word was even spoken. He had a shirt half on and was reaching for the handle when he heard Mai purposely clear her throat to get his attention.

He shot her a "Can't it wait? This is important," look.

Mai smiled and pointed at his legs.

"Not that I wouldn't love to see their faces when you go out there like that, but you might want to put on some pants."

Seconds later, while still pulling his pants on, Zuko burst out of his chamber and onto the bridge.

There was no greeting or bows for the Fire Lord. In fact, no one had paid his entrance any attention at all. The bridge was dead silent and all eyes aimed out the window. Before Zuko could demand to know what was going on, he saw it... whatever it was...

A thin stream of orange-yellow light bisected the night sky, like a hairline crack in the fabric of reality. It pulsed like a living thing, almost like the planet itself was bleeding fire into the heavens.

Other than it being a stream of light piercing the sky, this was nothing like what Zuko had seen at the South Pole.

The beam of light that had signaled the Avatar's return had felt like a benevolent, natural force, something to be held in awe, but not fear. It had even given Zuko hope, though at the time, for very different reasons than the rest of the world.

This, however, there was nothing natural about this. It felt violent and malevolent, and instead of signaling of hope, this felt like a declaration of war.

"What am I looking at?" Zuko asked aloud to anyone that would answer. No one did. He chanced a look away and glanced about the bridge.

"I need answer!" Zuko yelled, breaking the spell. Some of the men started stammering and yelling between each other, trying to think of, well, anything really. The Captain was at the window (and had been this whole time) with some instrument in his hand. A sextant? Zuko wasn't sure what it was called. That little periscope thingy with the curved thing on the bottom sailors used to judge distance.

"No, no, no, that can't be... How? No, that's..." Zuko heard the Captain mumble to himself as he quickly jotted tick marks on a piece of parchment with a sliver of charcoal. He seemed to be the only one in the whole cabin trying to make sense of anything. Zuko pushed one of the arguing crew members out of his way stepped to the Captian.

"What is it? What did you figure out?" Zuko asked.

"I... No, this can't be right. Let me redo the calcula..." He lifted the instrument to the window again. Zuko noticed several calculations already scratched off on the paper, all the same. He grabbed the tool from the captain.

"What is it?" Zuko demanded.

"According to my calculations, whatever... that is," He waved a hand at the window, "it's about three hundred miles away, and if we're seeing it from _here,_ it has to be several miles high at the least."

Zuko looked back out the window. "Is it a Volcano?" He knew it wasn't. That was plainly obvious, but it was the first rationale his mind jumped too. What else could cause something like this?

Another crew member, who had a map pressed open against the wall, and who apparently had the same idea, answered Zuko. "The closest marked Volcano is Mt. Mapaku, and that's South of here," after which he just shrugged.

Mai entered the bridge, fully dressed, hair done, and tying her belt (how did she do that so fast?) A wry little smile crossed her lips as she looked past Zuko and out the window.

"Well, now you can't complain that you haven't found anything."

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It took Azula an act of sheer will to uproot her feet and force her legs to move. Though when she did, it wasn't _away_ from the fire that she ran. It was an insane urge, and she couldn't even reason why she should, but she felt an irresistible urge to move _toward _it.

What exactly it was that moved her forward wasn't something she could readily identify. It was feeling in the pit of her stomach. Like she was sick, or hungry, or... well she didn't really know. All she did know was that it just didn't feel right to run the other way. She wanted to see what was causing it.

No, not just wanted to, but needed to.

The longer she waited, the greater her anxiety grew. Without dwelling on it a moment longer, she ran into the forest. The hot wind blew against her, whipping her hair about her face and making her eyes tear. She put a hand in front of her face, both as a physical barrier to the heat, and to shield her eyes from the brightness. She also pulled the chi up through her body and out that same hand. It wasn't as easy to do if it had been actual fire, but someone with her talent could still use her bending to deflect some of the heat.

The closer she got, the more the damage to the forest was apparent. Halfway there, and not a single pine tree had any of its needles still on the branch.

Closer still and the side of the trees facing the flame were burnt and charred. The hot wind pressed against her, trying to force her back, and Azula leaned into it and fought her way forward. It was like trying to walk into a blast furnace. Firebenders were born with a natural tolerance for heat, and that tolerance was only heightened through years of training. It was only that combination of that natural and trained resistance that allowed her to get as close as she had, but even she was getting close to her limit.

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The City of Yenrai's Noble Reagent sat in his study, leafing through a pile of documents and trying to decide which needed his most immediate attention (in other words, the shortest to read and easiest to fulfill.) A single oil lamp sat on the corner of his desk, flicking its light about the room and creating an odd assortment of shadows dancing about various objects in the room. Those shadows suddenly vanished.

The mayor looked up. The entire room was awash in an orange-yellow glow. He looked out the only window in the room.

He fell over in his chair, knocking a pile of scrolls off his desk when he tried to catch himself. He shot back up, paying no attention to the pain in his backside.

All around the city of Yenrai, the scene played itself over and over. Citizens running out from their houses and into the street, pounding on friends' doors, others running for the guards as if they were capable of doing anything. The streets were in a panic.

Despite being the single closest city to the phenomena, the citizens of Yenrai actually had the worst view of it. The mountains were in the way, which obscured the flame column itself. What the citizens of Yenrai _did_ see, however, was that the sky itself seemed to be on fire.

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Meng had just locked the gate and was just starting to help Aunt Wu close up for the day when the pounding of multiple fists against the door startled them both. Outside it was a cacophony of voices. Words were lost and all that could be heard was shouts and blending together in a symphony of panic.

Meng turned a worried eye to Aunt Wu, who just smiled and nodded at the door. That immediately set Meng at ease. Perhaps a funny shaped cloud moved in front of the moon, or maybe a black cat was found sleeping in someone's rose bed, and now the whole town thought it was the end of the world. As Meng went to unlock the door, Aunt Wu followed behind her, straightening her dress and adjusting her hair.

The low, heavy 'clank' of the door's lock unlatching seemed to send a signal through the crowd outside. The pounding stopped and the crowd got quieter. It was only temporary however, for the moment Meng cracked open the door, she was assaulted with a barrage of questions.

"Where's Aunt Wu?"

"What does this mean?"

"We need her guidance!"

"Please make us safe!"

"Are the spirits angry?"

"What color pants should I wear tomorrow?"

...and a few dozen more questions were thrown at Meng all at once.

"Alright, everyone. Calm down, calm down. What do you need?" Aunt Wu walked up behind Meng, still fixing her hair. Even as Meng sighed in relief, the door was yanked from her hand by the crowd desperate to see Aunt Wu.

"It's another volcano!" a woman yelled.

"That's not a volcano ya dern fool!" an older man yelled over to her.

The crowd burst into an argument amongst themselves. Meng and Aunt Wu glanced at each other. Meng scowled and stepped out the door.

"What are you all yelling about?" she screamed over all of them. The crowd went dead silent. A few eyes darted back and forth and then a few hands went up, pointing to northwest sky.

It was the first time both Meng and Aunt Wu noticed the glow. The sky northwest of Mapaku, from horizon to clouds, was awash in an orange-yellow light.

It could have almost been mistaken for the light of the setting sun, or possibly a forest fire if the source wasn't so obvious. A thin line, a pulsing vein of reds, yellows, orange and whites, pumped fire into the clouds. It looked like a pillar of light trying to hold up the heavens... or destroy them.

"Oh, my!" Aunt Wu said to herself in wide-eyed astonishment.

Aunt Wu quickly composed herself once she realized that every eye rested on her, along with their hope. She forced a smile, and in the calmest voice she could manage, said, "Calm down, everyone. I'm sure it's nothing. I'll consult the bones and be right back. Meng, entertain our guests while they wait."

Aunt Wu walked away. Meng watched her go then turned her attention back to the crowd. Everyone was starring at her expectantly.

"Soooo... uh, anyone want some tea?"

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A pool of sweat was collecting on Xin Shu's upper lip. The dagger in his hand trembled along with the rest of his body. His eyes darted back and forth as he pressed himself up against the tree in a futile attempt to hide.

Hide? He knew ducking behind trees was useless. He'd already figured out that he wasn't being tracked visually, but what else could he do? He gripped the dagger tighter in his hand. Was that a noise? Did the leaves just rustle?

He spun out from behind the tree and looked around wildly, ready for anything. Something warm and wet stung the back of his neck and his entire body froze and collapsed to the ground.

"Aww, that's my girl." It was a woman's voice, followed by a growl... or a purr. It was hard to tell. He heard what sounded like leather sliding against leather, and then something hit the ground. In another moment, a heel pressed into his shoulder and kicked him over.

June gave her bounty a smile.

"Alright, let's go cash you in."

June didn't see the initial flash of light. It was Nyla, her shirshu, whose behavior that caught her attention. Nyla yelped like she'd been struck or stepped on a thorn. She ran in a circle, then started digging into the ground and pressing her nose into it, like she was trying to purposely block out a scent. June pulled the whip off her belt and cracked it. Nyla immediately laid on the ground in obedience, but continued to whimper and paw at her nose.

June walked over and stroked the side of her head.

"What's gotten into you?"

Nyla picked her head up and pointed with her nose at the sky to the West. June noticed the glow against the clouds immediately, like the reflection of an immense fire. After another few seconds she could make out a razor thin sliver of orange yellow light close to the horizon and obviously very far away. But, if she could see it from here...

Nyla yelped again and continued with trying to bury her nose. June looked from her shirshu to the needle of light and back to Nyla, and made the connection.

She scratched behind its ears. This calmed her a bit.

"So, that's why you've been so spooked for the last few weeks..."

June looked back to the sky.

"Can't say I blame you."

"Uh sooo..." her still-paralyzed bounty spoke up from the ground behind her, "does this mean I get to go?" he managed a weak smile.

Jun scoffed, "Nice try, but I'm getting paid even if I have to strap you to Nyla and drag both of you back to town myself."

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Even during the war, patrolling the great wall of Ba Sing Se had been a tedious task. Now that the war was over, it had the added benefit of feeling pointless as well.

Hanzo leaned his head against the parapet, his helmet lightly clinking against the stone. He shifted his forearm to the wall and rested his chin on them, and looked out over the western plain when he thought saw something. It was slight, almost imperceptible, but there was definitely a hazy glow on the horizon. His first thought was that it was just the fading light of the sunset, but it was hours past dusk and he was positive the same sky had been near pitch black only moments ago.

He waved over another soldier.

"You see that right, it's not just me?" He pointed.

The other soldier leaned forward, as though getting that much closer should make a difference, squinted then shrugged, "Could be a forest fire, though it'd hafta ta be a big one from the looks of it."

"Yeah," Hanzo nodded, "Alert the Captain. He'll wanna see this."

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Another City. Another wall.

Though nowhere as grand as the one surrounding Ba Sing Se, the wall protecting the Northern Water Tribe was impressive in its own right, and just as heavily patrolled. More so, in fact.

Inuk was one of the few non-benders on patrol. Normally, he wouldn't even be here. Inuk was part of the reserves, essentially a volunteer only called on during an active threat. With the war over, there shouldn't have been a need, but that was before the incident a few weeks ago.

Inuk turned on his heels, switched direction and paced back over his well worn tracks. The butt of his spear tapped against the ice as his thoughts returned to what had happened.

He'd been on a date with his girlfriend, herself a waterbender and healer. They'd been walking about the palace square and he'd been nervously fumbling with the betrothal necklace in his pouch. He was still trying to think of a special way to ask her when she suddenly screamed in pain and collapsed on the ground unconscious.

He stopped pacing on the wall for a second and let a shiver run from the base of his spine to the raised hairs on the back of his neck. This happened every time he thought about it.

It wasn't just her, either.

Every single waterbender in the Northern Tribe seemed effected by it. Thank the spirits no one was died, but there were plenty of injuries. Mostly bumps and bruises from people collapsing on the ground. A few of the boatmen that piloted the gondolas through the canals had to be pulled from the water. The worst of it was had by an older woman unfortunate enough to have taken a spill down a flight of stairs. She suffered a broken leg, fractured pelvis, a few broken ribs, as well as some bruises and cuts.

He remembered the panic in the streets. Some rushed to the palace, others to the spirit oasis (or at least to the door protecting it,) all of them looking for answers.

Answers that no one had, not even their leader Arnook, as was still the case now.

Worst of all were the persistent rumors that the waterbenders were getting weaker. Not even his girlfriend would say much about it, but it was obvious that something was wrong.

Inuk was pulled from his thoughts. Out of the corner of his eye, a flash of light caught his attention. His head snapped in its direction.

At first he thought he might be seeing things. There was a pinprick of light on the horizon, and everywhere around it was awash in an eerie orange glow, almost like the sun wasn't satisfied with its earlier setting and had decided to come back up and give it another go.

He couldn't fathom what he was looking at, and when he turned to point it out to someone else, he found there was no one to yell to.

All down the wall, bodies lay prone on the ice. Inuk's spear was left standing on its own as he sprinted to the guard closest to him. By the time the spear clattered to the ground, Inuk was already at his side, checking for signs of life.

Good, he was breathing. He heard the pounding of feet further down the wall. Another soldier, Inuk couldn't remember his name, but recognized him as one of the few other non-benders patrolling the wall, came running from the other direction, doing the same as Inuk and checking the others.

Then he heard a voice yelling. No, not one, several.

He jumped to his feet and looked over the wall down into the city. The moon was just bright enough to light the streets with its pale silver glow, and what Inuk saw horrified him. Bodies sprawled on the ground, people gathering around them, some kneeling and shaking them, others yelling for help. Elsewhere people were either running for the nearest soldier or screaming for one. In the few short moments he watched, Inuk witnessed the whole city explode into panic below him.

He took a quick glance behind him, back to that ominous light on the horizon. It couldn't just be coincidence. That light had to have something to do with all this. He turned his attention back to the unconscious tribesman, doing what he could to help.

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The Eel-hound was fast, almost too fast. The wind buffeted against Suki's face with such force that she could barely keep her eyes open. With each stride, the animal put nearly forty feet of ground beneath it. It bound off the ground with such force that, even in the surface of the dry dirt road, its feet left deep imprints. They'd been riding hard all day, and Suki planned to keep doing so all through the night.

She felt Ty Lee's grip on her sides tighten suddenly, then...

"Hey, Suki!" Ty Lee yelled in her ear to compensate for the wind rushing past them, "What's that?"

Ty Lee twisted herself around Suki, and an arm shot up in front of her face. Suki pulled the reigns and the Eel-hound, leaving about a hundred feet of torn up ground behind it as it slid to a stop. The two of them nearly pitching off the front of it due to the sudden change in momentum.

"Ty Lee, what are you..." Suki started to yell at her, then stopped mid sentence.

What the...

Suki didn't even know what she was looking at. The sky was glowing orange, and in the middle of it all was what looked like a thin line of brightly pulsing sunlight burning a hole in the clouds.

"It's kinda like a waterfall, isn't it?" Ty Lee said, "Except it's made of fire, and it's pouring up. Except I like waterfalls. They're pretty. This... isn't. It just kind of just, feels all wrong, doesn't it?"

That was one way of putting it.

Whether or not Ty Lee could actually see "auras" like she was always going on about, was still up for debate, but Suki didn't need some kind of extra sensory spiritual ability to feel it as well.

"It feels angry," Ty Lee pressed herself against Suki's back, like a shy child hiding behind its mother. Suki had a feeling she wasn't doing it consciously. She didn't like it anymore than Ty Lee did, but she certainly didn't feel any emotion coming from it. Suki yanked the reigns. The Eel hound reared up, turned and shot off the road and directly toward the light.

"Wait, we're going toward it!" Ty Lee yelled. "What about the Avatar?"

"If we saw it from here, I'm sure Aang saw it from the sky," Suki yelled back over her shoulder. "Trust me, I know those guys. There's no way they'll just ignore this. "

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Toph was half asleep, lying against the pile of bedrolls and packs strapped to the back of Appa's saddle. Katara was likewise half asleep leaning against Aang who sat atop Appa's head as he steered the air bison toward the North Pole. Momo was sprawled over Sokka's shoulder, and kept poking at the map he was holding in an attempt to imitate the human. Sokka bated Momo's small hand away as the lemur pawed at the map again.

"Momo, I'm doing serious work here. This isn't play time."

It was at that exact moment that an orange flash filled the sky directly behind them.

Sokka, his attention fully on the task at hand, didn't notice anything. Momo, however, did. The lemur jumped up on the bedrolls Toph was sleeping against and looked toward the light. His head cocked to the side in abject confusion. The little animal had no comprehension of what it was looking at. He jumped down and landed on Toph's head, waking her up and chattering wildly while pointing.

"Momo, knock it off!" she yelled at him. Momo even turned her head in the direction of the light, but this human apparently didn't think it was anything to worry about, since she just batted him away and went back to sleep without paying it much attention.

Discouraged, but not defeated, Momo jumped on Sokka's head and started doing the same thing. Sokka wasn't having any of it. He grabbed Momo off his head and set him next to him, then pulled a handful of nuts out of his pocket and gave them to Momo.

Unfortunately, the thought process of a lemur isn't a terribly complicated thing, and Momo's went something like this, "...hey, hey look, light, sky, light in sky, look, look that way, look at bright light, bright light in the... Oooh, nuts!"

"Aang, can you call off your flying bat monster so I can try and figure out where we are!"

There was no answer.

A few seconds later, Sokka poked his head up.

"Aang?" he looked over the top of the saddle.

Katara was lying was lying across Appa's head, asleep. Aang... was gone.

Sokka had no time to make any sense of the situation before Appa let out a bellow and began to steep dive through the air. The bellow woke Toph, and before she could even get out a "What the..." she started to lift off his saddle and float through the air. She flailed her arms through the air and luckily found one of the straps holding their stuff secure to Appa's saddle. She hugged it to herself for dear life.

"What's happening?" She yelled out.

Sokka hand grabbed tightly at one of the handles in the saddle. Katara lifted off the sky bison's head and sailed up through the air. Sokka reached out with his free hand, grabbed his sister's arm and pulled her in. Katara's eyes never opened once. He yelled her name, but she didn't respond. Appa's reign's flapped freely in the wind in front of Sokka's face, but with one hand white-knucked around the saddle and the other keeping his sister from floating away into the sky, he couldn't do anything about it.

"APPA! Appa, stop, slow down! YIP-YIP!" Sokka yelled, with no result.

Then Sokka saw the reason for Appa's panicked dive. Aang. He was tumbling through the air below them, twisting and turning and making no effort to slow himself with airbending, or even right his descent. As far as Sokka could tell, Aang was just as unconscious as Katara. Aang's clothes fluttered and flapped about his body so violently that the red sash around his torso ripped off, flew up through the air and wrapped itself around Sokka's face.

"What's going on! Someone say something!" Toph yelled again. "Did Appa fall asleep again?"

"Just hold on, this is gonna be rough," Sokka tried to yell back to her, though with Aang's sash glued to his face from the force of the wind, all Toph heard was "mmft hhhd nn, fhf hm mnna ne fuff."

The sash ripped from his face a moment later.

The ocean was coming up fast. Appa bellowed again and picked up even more speed, desperate to catch Aang before they both hit the water. Sokka tightened his grip around the saddle and Katara's arm even more. He knew that if they hit the water at this speed, they may as well be flying into solid ice.

Aang drew closer. Appa gave one final push. The sea drew up on them quickly, and Aang was almost in reach. Sokka's hands were full and couldn't help. Appa seemed to understand this, and pulled just passed Aang, placing his massive head just underneath his falling friend and as soon as Appa felt the air nomad press against the back of his neck, he immediately tried to pull from the dive. Six massive, tree trunk like legs shot out, and their speed cut in half. Toph hit the saddle but kept her death grip on the straps, Sokka's grip tore free from the saddle's handle and the momentum squished him into the front corner, and Katara landing on top of him didn't help.

Despite the decrease in speed, Appa was still barreling toward the ocean. The sky bison thrust its tail and corrected its angle at the last moment. There was an explosion of ice cold water as they crashed into ocean. Appa kept the saddle from going under, but Aang got swept off his head. Toph was slammed into the saddle, tumbled across it and crashed into Sokka. Everyone tumbled off the front.

Toph grabbed one of the handles and both Sokka and Katara smacked into the soggy cold fur of Appa's head. Toph yelled as the freezing water splashed down on top of them. Sokka quickly shook it off, hefted Katara back into the saddle and jumped into the water to save Aang. The water was freezing and he could feel his body threaten to shut down as soon as he hit it. He had forgotten just how cold the oceans around the poles could be. It was only a few strokes to reach Aang, but each one hurt like slapping his arms against a bed of needles. He grabbed Aang around the waist and swam both of them back to Appa who was swimming over to meet them halfway.

Appa leaned his head to the side, allowing Sokka to grab a horn, then twisted back upright, pulling the two of them up. Sokka checked Aang. He was still breathing. Good, but how was he still unconscious after all that? Sokka leaned over him, shivering and yelling his name while shaking him. Nothing.

The pinpoint of light brightening the horizon to the south still went completely ignored save for one.

Momo, who'd been left behind in the sky, finally caught back up. The Lemur landed right on Toph's shoulder and again began chattering and pointing to the South. It was plain dumb luck that the only member of the group that actually saw anything, couldn't talk, and kept trying to point it out to the one member who couldn't see.

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She'd reached it. Azula was at the tree line, just outside of the clearing where the column of flame was blasting out of the ground.

_Hadn't there been a lake here?_

She held her hand closer to her face and peered through the cracks between her fingers. Yes, a lake _had_ been here, but now only the depression remained. And out of the middle of that depression the pillar roared up like a tornado on fire. In fact, that was almost exactly what it looked like. The pillar was only at its widest once it reached the height of the treetops. Below that, it spiraled down in an ever decreasing swirl until it reached a single point.

In the middle of the used-to-be lake (which was, apparently, only few feet deep) was a pulsing sphere of white-hot energy, and in the middle of that...

A human form.

Yu!

It was just a silhouette, she had no way of knowing if it was actually him or not, but despite that, she knew that it was. The sensation in the pit of her stomach hit her again, harder than before, and along with that, a realization. She'd been expecting this, and it had, despite not understanding it at the time, been the reason she'd pushed herself to get here. Though, now that she'd confirmed her subconscious suspicions (or perhaps... fears), she had no idea what to actually do about it.

Apparently, her subconscious mind was not nearly as good at planning as conscious mind was.

_Yu has this kind of power...!_

There was something very wrong here.

With everything that was going on around her, that thought may have qualified as the single biggest understatement of her entire life. Regardless of all that however, it was the form at the center of this all, that silhouette in the flame, that all of her attention focused on.

He seemed to be struggling against the fire. Swinging his arms wildly, then grabbing at his chest. He stumbled about and then fell to his knees. If Azula didn't know better, she would swear he was writhing in pain. Her stomach did it again, and this time her throat tightened as well. Was he burning? Were the flames actually hurting him? Was this like what happened last night? Were his powers giving way at a time like this?

The body in the flames convulsed a hand clawed at the ground in front of him, then grabbed at his throat. No, he wasn't burning. A body didn't move like that when it was burning. Having a father that took you on field trips to the torture chambers had taught her a few things, and she knew that the body had different ways of reacting to different pain. He wasn't burning. This was something else, and it only took her mind a few moments to piece together just what, and why.

It was one of fires most basic ingredients. In order to burn, it needed to consume air.

_...and engulfed in that sphere of flames..._

Yu wasn't burning, he was suffocating.

...and Azula was helpless to do anything but watch.


	35. Chapter 34: The War Within

**Chapter 34**

_The War Within_

Helpless?

It was that dirty, distasteful little thought, and more than anything else, that feeling is what broke the spell and urged Azula into action.

I am princess of the Fire Nation - the daughter of one of the greatest Fire Lords to ever rule our nation. By wits alone, I conquered the great city of Ba Sing Se, which had stood against us for one hundred years, and I am one of the few people in history to bring down an Avatar single handedly.

_I am not helpless!_

She yanked back her sleeves and lowered into a fighting stance. From deep within her center, she felt the chi swirl, rise up through her chest, course down her arms, then erupt into blue flames in the palms of her hands.

There was an old Fire Nation adage: fight fire with fire. Most people misunderstood this to mean "force against force," and that was because most people were uneducated imbeciles. In truth, it was a very literal piece of advice. Just as Yu was being deprived of air, so could she do the same to the flames surrounding him. She wouldn't allow him to escape his part in her plan quite so easily.

She pulled in a deep breath, the flames in her hands surged, and then she forced that energy into her own flames. With a yell, a tsunami of fire spilled from her hands and rolled across the ground. The sheer volume of fire was far beyond what she'd intended, or should have even been able to produce. This feeling inside her, the power she felt coursing through her veins, was something she'd only felt once before, on the day of Sozin's comet.

Her power was being amplified by something, and there was little doubt in her mind what that source was. The pillar fluctuated slightly as her flames washed over it like waves crashing against a rocky shore. For a brief moment, when the tower of flames sputtered under her attack, she felt a sliver of hope.

And that's when things suddenly felt very, very wrong. The fluctuation of energy she felt as her fire washed over the pillar changed. Instead of pouring over it, her blue flames began absorbing into the sphere. Her attempt at fighting it was now feeding it, and that wasn't the worst of it. She tried to stop, but the flames just kept pouring from her. She was no longer in control of her own energy, and she could feel it being pulled from the very depths of her being. It felt as though her life energy, her spirit, her very being, was being ripped from her body and out through the flames. Azula could feel something there, a presence in the fire. And like a greedy parasite, it fed with no regard to its host's well being.

It reached into her body, pulling at her very essence, feeding on it. Again, she tried to stop bending, and again it proved useless. The presence pushed into her further. She could feel a vile energy slithering into her fingertips and crawling inside her arms. She was suddenly sick to her stomach as that same energy curled into the pit of her stomach, polluting her chi with its own. She wanted to vomit, as though that would expel it, but her own body wouldn't even give her that much of a response. A swirl of thoughts rushed through her head, plans, tactics, counter-attacks, what could she do? It pushed into her again, drinking deeper, and Azula felt she was left with only one choice. She stopped resisting. She drew in another breath, and poured herself into the fire, putting everything she had into it. If whatever this presence was wanted her strength this badly, then she'd make it choke on it.

She pulled on every vestige of strength left in her body, then let it explode from her all at once. A surge of blue flames erupted from her hands, flowing from her with such power that she pushed herself backward across the ground.

This thing, the force of will reaching into her, mixed itself with her in order to take what it wanted. It apparently hadn't expected her to go along with the plan with such enthusiasm, because it had no defense ready once she stopped resisting.

She could feel her opponent reeling back at the unexpected shift in momentum. The tendrils of energy violating her spirit spilled out, washed away in the flames. It physically hurt as the last of it lurched out of her, but like that terrible spastic pain that grips your body as it expels a sickness by vomiting, once it was gone she felt instantly and infinitely better. And as soon as she expelled it, there was a sudden change in the flames behavior. The tower of flames flickered and wavered, and whereas her flames had before been pulled into the sphere at its base, they were now swirling up the column and mixing with the pillar. It was deflecting her flames instead of absorbing them.

Good. Maybe that meant it now considered her more a threat than a snack.

She kept at it with all the strength left to her. It was surprised, reeling back, and she wasn't going to give it a chance to turn the tables back in its favor.

She extended herself into the flames that were once again hers to control, and pulled them back down the pillar, returning her assault to the source. Above the sphere, the column fluctuated even more, it pulsed and sputtered as the energy used to maintain it was now being redirected in an effort to fend off Azula's assault.

- # - - # - - # - - # - - # - - # - - # - - # - - # -

Zuko was still trying to get answers. The control room was a flurry of action, maps ruffling about, the navigator making measurements and trying to pinpoint the light beam's location.

"Sir. Sir, look, the column!" Zuko turned from his argument with the captain and looked out the window.

"What..."

Something was definitely happening. The pillar of fire was starting to waver and weaken. For a moment, Zuko even thought he saw the base turn a slight blue color, but it faded quickly. Then the column began to sputter and fade. He spun and screamed at the navigator to mark the location before it disappeared completely.

- # - - # - - # - - # - - # - - # - - # - - # - - # -

It pushed against her with a growing ferocity, but it was a ferocity born out of desperation. And that wasn't just a guess on Azula's part, or a tactical assessment on her part. Whatever this thing was, it was it was radiating more than just heat. For a moment, she could actually feel its thoughts. Though what she felt bleeding into her was so alien, so bizarre, that it was almost impossible to comprehend. Her mind swam trying to make sense of it all. It was like a flurry of voices all screaming at once, and each one pleaded for equal attention. Most of those otherworldly voices and emotions remained entirely incomprehensible to her, though among those awful and alien flavors, however, were a few very familiar tastes.

_...h__ate ...anger ...vengeance ...fear …and and almost overwhelming sorrow._

For fear of being swallowed by it all, she forced it all out and pushed the noise from her head. Then, with one last titanic effort of both physical force and sheer willpower, she pushed back with everything she had. She heard screaming, but unlike those alien voices screaming in her head, this was more natural, if not equally distressed. It took her a second to realize she was the one producing it.

Everything she had was poured into this last assault. Finally, the flame pillar completely gave way and extinguished. It evaporated into the sky and swirled out of existence. The Sphere of fire surrounding Yu gave one last surge of energy and threw Azula off her feet. Blue flames spit wildly into the sky and pin wheeled into the night. Azula spilled backward and gritted her teeth as she hit the ground. She was defenseless and exhausted, and lay there waiting for the fire to wash over her, but nothing happened.

The forest went dark as the sphere's energy, also exhausted, evaporated.

- # - - # - - # - - # - - # - - # - - # - - # - - # -

Zuko watched as the pillar of light pulsed, fluctuated, and then finally swirled away as though it had never been there at all.

There was dead silence in control room. There were a few exchanged glances but no one said anything. After a few more beats, one of the crewmen meekly spoke up.

"So, uh... do we keep looking for the Princess or...?"

"Are you joking?" Zuko shot back. If the meaning of that was supposed to have cleared anything up, it didn't seem to do the job. A few of the crewmen even looked to Mai for a lead, but she just shrugged. Zuko sighed and grumbled to himself.

"Captain, set a course for... whatever that was. Looking for my sister just became a second priority."

- # - - # - - # - - # - - # - - # - - # - - # - - # -

With some difficulty, Azula rolled forward and lifted herself on shaky knees. When she looked up, Yu was staring at her. A cold sweat broke across her body. There was something very wrong here.

He didn't move, didn't talk, didn't even blink. He just stared at her, and that terrible inhuman presence emanated from him. His eyes... She could actually feel him looking at her, his glare pushing down on her spirit, suffocating her with a look. She found herself trapped, unable to look away no matter how much she wanted to. The alien presence looking out at her through the window of Yu's eyes wouldn't let her go.

No, not _his_ eyes, Azula thought, this isn't Yu... It couldn't be. Yu had kinder eyes than this.

She had no time to dwell on how odd that thought should have been for her. Never in her life had she considered kindness any sort of virtue. Certainly not one _she'd_ ever cared for, but right now, she was desperate for it. Right now, however, the only thing swimming in those eyes was distinctly the same presence she'd felt pressing into her through the flames. Azula found it hard to breathe, like the air itself was poisoned with malice and hate...

Then Yu blinked, and like that, that spell was broken. Those eyes were his again. Azula let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. A moment later and she watched Yu's eyes roll back in his head and then he collapsed into the mud with a wet 'thock'.

The tension flowed out of Azula's body and her legs went weak. It was almost like reality was rushing back in like a wave to fill the void left by... whatever that was. She let herself fall to the ground. Completely exhausted in every way, she lied there starring up at the dark sky. She watched the hole in the clouds close itself. Stars blinked out of view as ephemeral whisps of white and gray bled together and closed the wound.

Only a few moments, and her mind was already going into damage control, trying to rationalize the things that didn't make sense, which was most of it. By the time she had regained her energy and was lifting herself to her feet, she had convinced herself that what she felt, both the presence in the fire, and more importantly, in Yu, had been a product of her own mind, a result of the stress of the situation on her sleep deprived mind.

She walked over to the edge of the now former lake bed and spotted Yu's unconscious body sprawled in the mud, but still breathing. Then she noticed what was probably the most troubling thing she'd seen all night.

_Oh great, he's naked._

She must have been more distracted by that imagined presence than she thought... How could she have not noticed until now? She closed her eyes and turned around to walk away...

...and ran almost directly into her mother.

Azula jumped, startled, then caught her breath. "What are you doing here?"

"Are you just going to leave him there?" Ursa asked, looking over her shoulder.

"You did just see what happened didn't you? I'm not going anywhere near him. Besides, I don't see what concern it is of yours anyway." Azula once again turned to walk away, and, once again, almost ran into her mother. She gave a quick double take, from where her mother was to where she was now.

"Will you stop doing that!"

Azula tried to walk around her.

"He didn't leave _you_ behind," Ursa reminded her as she passed. Azula stopped as the memory flashed in her mind.

_...guards __unconscious on the floor ...Yu pinned against the wall under her forearm ...he had no reason to return, but he had anyway... she still didn't understand why..._

Azula turned around. "I didn't need his help and he was a fool for thinking I did. It was his choice to come back, not mine. Don't hold me responsible for his decisions."

"Azula..."

"I did my good deed for the day," she cut her off, "and in case you didn't notice, I just saved his miserable life. He's just lucky I still need him for something or I wouldn't have bothered even doing that much."

She tried to leave a third time, and was again blocked by her mother as soon as she turned around.

"Will you stop doing that!" Azula yelled at her. Just then, Azula heard a wet splucking from the mud behind her, as well as a moan. She peeked over her shoulder, and saw Yu weakly trying to lift himself out of the mud, only to collapse back into it and pass out again.

She looked back at her mother and realized she wasn't going to just drop this issue. Azula stepped closer and brought a finger to Ursa's face.

"If I do this for you, will you leave me in peace!"

Ursa smiled and nodded.

Azula closed her eyes and let out a long aggravated sigh.

"Fine, then." She spun on her heels and walked to what used to be the edge of the lake. She kicked off her shoes and pulled up the legs of her pants. Before she took a step in, she shot her mother another look. Ursa just nodded and motioned toward Yu with her hand. Azula looked at the mud and shook her head.

_I can't believe I'm doing this!_

She stepped into the mud. It seeped up between her toes and spread over the top of her foot until it disappeared under the mulch.

_This is disgusting._

Then she followed it in with the other foot and trudged her way toward Yu. Each step became an increasingly difficult battle. Each step forward sunk in a bit deeper and each step behind was that much harder to pull out. By the time she got to Yu, she was sunk in halfway to her knees and every step felt like a small battle, a wet mucky "thock" signaling the victory of every footstep pulled from the mud. Unfortunately, the battle did have its causalities, and the campaign to keep her pants and sleeves clean was already a lost cause.

She gave her mother one last glance. Yep, still there. Guess she'd have to do this after all. Yu was laying in the mud right in front of her.

He was lying on his back, eyes still closed and drawing in labored breaths. She quickly shifted her eyes away, as she was given sudden and very obvious reminder that he was still just as naked as he was five minutes ago.

Trying to look at him with just her peripheral vision, she knelt down and grabbed and arm, then pulled it up over her shoulder. He made a few noises, but still didn't wake up, and she wasn't having much luck actually getting him free. She had drop to one knee and pull more of him onto her back before trying to heft him out of the mud, the whole time sincerely hoping certain "things" wouldn't touch her.

_As soon as I__ pull him out of here, I swear I'm going to throw him off a cliff._

"Well congratulations on reaching a new low," her Other said as she pulled Yu past her in the mud. Unlike Azula, she wasn't sunk in, and walked over the mud like it was solid ground. Azula tried to ignore her Other as she moved along side her, looking down at her with that smug superior smile.

"I'm not doing this because I want to," Azula sneered. She pulled Yu through the mud with a yank, hoping the jolt might wake him. This was humiliating enough without having to deal with _her_ right now... No such luck. Yu moaned and mumbled something but otherwise was still out.

"Then don't. Drop him here and walk away."

"Trust me, I want to."

Azula didn't even see her move, but in the next moment, her Other was standing right in front of her, blocking her way."

"Then why don't you?" She crossed her arms and looked down at Azula with a look of disdain and disappointment.

Azula tried to ignore her and shoved her way past when Yu was suddenly yanked out of her grip. At the same time she heard his body slap against the mud, she also felt an arm wrap around her neck. She was yanked in the opposite direction, kicking and fighting, then thrown into the mud herself. Azula clawed furiously at the mud, quickly pushing herself back to her feet. Now completely covered, she turned on her Other and roared.

"How dare you."

Azula didn't even see her move, and in the next moment, a hand was closing over her throat like a vise. Her Other yanked her in so close that their faces were almost touching.

"So you think you can just ignore me, push me aside and walk away?" her Other practically spit the words in her face. "What? Are you afraid Mommy's gonna yell at you!" she mocked in a simpering childlike voice. "I _am_ you! Got it? And you'll do what I say, or..."

Azula swung a fire covered fist that passed through nothing. Her momentum sent her tumbling forward, face first into the mud. She spun around on the ground, blasting a wave of fire through the air that hit nothing. Her Other was gone.

Azula, still furious, and now covered head to toe in mud, fell back in the mud, screamed into the night and thrashed her arms and legs in what could only be called a tantrum. A few seconds later and she was lying quietly in the mud, completely spent both emotionally and physically. For the next few moments, the only movement her body made was the riding and falling of her chest as she sucked in deep breaths and stared blankly up at the stars.

She finally stood up and after wiping off as much mud as she could (a little tricky when even your hands are covered in it), she gave Yu one last glance. Why was she trying to help him? Now that she thought about it, having to put up with her mother seemed a lot less trouble than all this. Fine, it was settled then. She was leaving.

She took a few steps away, then heard him mumble a groan. She took a peak over her shoulder. He was awake again, partially at least. His eyes weren't open but he was moving. He was pushing himself up, or at the very least trying to, and he kept grabbing at the air, almost like he was reaching for something...

Then it hit Azula that what he was searching for, was _her__._

She looked back to the shore, then to Yu, and once again to the shore.

_No, that's it, I'm leaving. He's awake, he's moving... he doesn't need me here, and I don't care to be here..._

She pulled her legs out and started shlucking through the mud when she heard the distinct 'spluck' of his body smacking against the mud. She gritted her teeth and shook her head.

_Don't turn around. Don't turn around. Don't turn..._

She couldn't help herself.

He was lying face first in the mud and making a weaker attempt to move than he had before. She swore under her breath, turned around and went back to him. She reached down and grabbed his arm, hefting it over her shoulder. He mumbled something, she swore back, then he started to pass out again. His dead weight pushed her legs further into the mud, making it almost impossible to move. She smacked him a few times.

"Wake up already!"

His eyes fluttered open and rolled around in his head as he tried to come to and focus.

"Good! Now, start helping me move your useless husk or I'm leaving you here to die in the mud!"

He started putting some strength into his own legs, which made the whole ordeal much easier. They finally got out of the mud and once they hit solid ground Azula heard him mumble something barely audible. Azula ignored him and kept pulling him toward the trees. He mumbled again, and this time it was loud and clear enough that she couldn't just pretend she hadn't heard it.

"Thank you..."

It was almost enough to make her drop him right there and leave him where he lay. Instead she just scoffed...

"Keep your gratitude to yourself, I don't want it."

...and kept dragging him along.

"Too bad," he responded through a raspy wheezing laugh, "I'm giving it to you anyway."

The weak laugh broke into a coughing fit. She stopped while he recovered.

"If it hurts so much to talk, then stop! Trust me, I won't start complaining if you can actually manage to stay silent for once."

He seemed to take her advice, because he did stop talking. Then a few moments later he stopped being conscious. She yelled at him to wake up again, tried a few slaps, then again threatened to leave him laying in the woods if he didn't wake up. None of it worked. He was out cold. So, after adjusting her hold, she continued to drag him past the of heat blasted trees and back toward the cave.

When she finally got there, she threw him down in the clearing closer to the cliff than the cave. Just in case. There, good enough, she thought. Just one last thing. She wanted to find something to throw over him. Though, more for her sake than his. She just hoped he still had a change of clothes, at the very least, pants, still in his pack. She only took a few steps away when she was stopped dead in her tracks by voice from behind her.

"Azula! What do you think you're doing?"

His voice hit her like ice water. Azula felt every muscle in her body clench up, as did every thought in her mind. For moment she was frozen, unable to move.

_No. _She slowly looked down at her tattered mud covered clothes. Her peripheral vision now noticing every strand of frazzled, frayed, mud caked strand of hair that framed her face. _Not him, not here. He can't see me like this._

"Turn around and face me when I speak to you, Azula."

She quickly turned around and fell to one knee. Ozai stood at the cliff, glaring down at her with a contempt and disappointment she'd only ever seen reserved for her brother. In the moonlight, he appeared only as an imposing black silhouette. A long shadow stretched from the bottom of his robes and surrounded her.

"Father, forgive me. I... "

"Silence, Azula!"

She cringed and swallowed back her words.

There was a long silence as she sat there kneeling before him. She didn't lift her eyes to meet his; she couldn't bring herself to. Instead, with her head bowed, she was left to notice just how un-princess like she really looked. Mud was drying on her arms and hands - just about every inch of her clothes was either caked or spattered with it. She could feel her father's eyes scrutinizing her as well. Every second passed like an eternity, and in every tick of that eternity, she found more dirt and filth everywhere she looked. It was under her fingernails, and clumps of dried mud clung to her hair. She pictured herself from his perspective, and felt even more sickened at the thought of what she must look like.

"Tell me, Azula," the baritone of his voice seemed to shake the ground and her body shivered as he spoke. Her father chewed each word and spit them out with disgust, "Have you forgotten everything I've taught you? Just look at you... If I knew you enjoyed rolling around in the mud like a filthy barnyard animal, then perhaps I should have had you raised in the stables and turned my efforts to Zuko."

She shot to her feet, forgetting her place, and screamed at him.

"You can't treat me like this! Not after everything I've done..."

"ENOUGH!" His palpable anger split the air like a bolt of lightning. It was all it took to squelch Azula's insubordination. She quickly dropped back to her knee, begging his forgiveness and holding back tears as he slowly circled her.

"Father, please. Everything I have ever done, I've done for our Nation, and for you. My loyalty..."

"You dare speak to me about loyalty? Ozai cut her off, "Then what is this I hear about you acting on your mother's advice? Now, does that sound like loyalty to you?"

It took Azula a second to realize that the question wasn't directed to her. At least not _her_ her.

"Why, no it doesn't, Father," she heard her own voice respond. She looked up and saw her Other standing next to their father. She beamed a gleefully sinister smile at Azula that read to her like an open scroll. She recognized that smile all too well and knew exactly what it meant. Her Other was the reason their father was here. After all, that smile was the same one Azula wore herself on the many occasions she'd told on Zuko, and brought her father's wrath to bare on him. Now, for the first time, she found herself on the other side of that smile, and a millisecond of introspection left her wondering if Zuko had felt the same way then that she was feeling now. At that moment, she seethed with hatred for that girl standing next to her father, wearing her face. How dare she, if only for just a split second, make her empathize with Zuko!

Her Other seemed to be drinking it all in, reveling in her twin's hate and anger, and as though to compound the issue, she turned to their father and said, "I have an idea father. How about we give her a little test?" She looked back to Azula.

Her father smiled. "Alright then Azula, you've been spending some time out here with her, what do you recommend?"

Though it shouldn't have been possible, her smile seemed to grow even wider and even more cruel. "I think she should take her precious little peasant and toss him over the cliff."

Ozai smiled, "Yes… Yes, you're right, Azula. That does seem rather appropriate."

Azula jumped to her feet. "No, but, wait... I still have..."

Hands wrapped around Azula's waist and neck. Her Other was behind her, pulling her off her feet and dragging her towards Yu. Azula tried to fight back, but her Other overpowered her completely. Her twin's hands slid down her arms and wrapped themselves around Azula's own. She forced their fingers around Yu's wrist and began dragging both of them towards the cliff.

Azula protested, "No, wait. STOP!" she yelled, but her Other only laughed in her ear as her father looked on, smiling.

As strange as the entire situation was, from an outside perspective it appeared even stranger. A lone girl, covered in mud, pulling an unconscious, mud covered, naked man toward the cliff's edge, all the while screaming at no one and pleading with herself to stop...

"Now you're just being silly," her Other mocked. Azula could feel her warm breath play across her cheek as she injected the words directly into her ear, "After all, we did plan the extermination of the entire Earth Kingdom, and now you're making such a fuss over one insignificant peasant? So stop carrying on and let's get this over with. After all, you don't want to disappoint father, do you?"

Whether or not her Other actually threw Yu off the cliff seemed almost incidental to the real issue at hand. After everything she'd done, she shouldn't _have_ to prove her loyalty! Her struggle with her Other self was less about saving Yu than it was a means to retain her free will. She wasn't just some tool to be used like the other servants and soldiers. She was his daughter! How could he do this to her?

"How could your father do what to you?" She felt a hand fall gently on her shoulder accompanied by her mother's voice. Her twin let go of both her and Yu and slowly backed off, letting out a frustrated sigh while rolling her eyes.

"What is going on here?" Ursa demanded, directing her attention to the other Azula.

Her Other shrugged innocently, acting like she'd been caught in the middle of some harmless prank. "I don't know."

Ursa wasn't having it. She reached out and grabbed her Other by the arm, scolding her, "It's time for a talk." She shot her husband a look, let go of Azula's Other and stormed over to Ozai.

Azula felt completely disoriented and sick. This was all too much: her father, mother and her other self... it was too much. She couldn't handle it anymore. She screamed and threw her hands over her ears, desperate to drown out this cracked reality she now found herself a part of, but the voices persisted.

She ran for the cave and plunged into its welcome darkness. She stumbled deeper into the black abyss, using her feet to feel her way since she didn't dare take her hands from her ears despite having gotten far enough to no longer hear them anymore. She felt out the cold stone wall in the darkness and hunkered down, hiding as it were.

Sobbing and practically hysterical, her breath came rapid and heavy. Her body wouldn't stop shaking. Why is this happening? What is happening? She couldn't make any sense of this anymore. She pulled her knees into her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She didn't want to be here anymore. She wanted things to make sense again. She wanted a place where these voices and visions couldn't find her anymore; she wanted someplace safe.

The sound of metal sliding against metal rang out, a sound she recognized.

She looked up, lifting her head from the tear soaked knees of her mud covered pants and saw a pair of eyes looking in on her from the small slit of her cell door. She didn't recognize these- it certainly wasn't Zuko.

"Are you alright, Princess?"

She lifted her hands and wiped her eyes. Her hands were free, unshackled. Aside from being confined in the cell, she was free of restraints. The eyes didn't answer her question directly, but instead kept talking in a calm, reassuring voice. She should have found it condescending, but actually found the words comforting.

"You're safe here, Princess. You can relax."

Yes... she did feel... safer here. It was dark, enclosed. No one could get to her, and best of all, she couldn't hear any voices. Maybe... maybe she should stay, even if just for a little while.

Azula felt her eyelids get heavy, and her body go slack.

"You should rest, Princess," the soothing voice said before slowly sliding the metal slat closed. Once it was, all the light in the cell was gone and Azula found herself surrounded in complete blackness. It didn't bother her though. It was quiet, peaceful, and for the time being, she felt safe.

- # - - # - - # - - # - - # - - # - - # - - # - - # -

Aang's eyes slowly opened. The last he remembered, he was sitting on Appa, reins in hand, Katara sleeping against him. It had just gotten dark, and they were happily planning on getting to the North Pole by midnight.

And that was it. There he was, sitting on Appa, then bam! He's waking up, wrapped in a sleeping bag.

What the heck!

He looked up at the clouds and blinked his eyes clear. He could still see some stars through the light wispy clouds, but they were fading fast into dawn's breaking light. His head throbbed mildly, nothing too bad. He turned his head to look around. His clothes, as well as Sokka's, (save their underwear) were hanging from a line strung between Appa's horns. He turned the other way, and saw Sokka, wrapped in blankets, leaning over another sleeping bag. He heard a slight moan, thought it sounded like Katara, and then heard her voice.

"Sokka... what happened?"

Yeah, that's what he was wondering too. He moved back the sleeping bag and sat up. Sokka turned around.

"Oh good, you're both up!"

Aang tried to sit up, and that's when it hit him. His headache, which had been mild up until this point, had apparently planned on sleeping in, and being asked to get up early didn't make it happy. He moaned and leaned forward, rubbing both of his temples.

"Ow... it feels like I got punched in the brain."

The same thing happened to Katara. As soon as she sat up, her hands went to her head and she let out a groan.

Toph was the one to finally answer the question Aang had asked Sokka.

"Well, from what I got, you guys turned off again. Then Aang tried sleep gliding, which didn't work out too well, Appa tried to kill everyone, then 'SPLASH' we were in the ocean. Oh yeah, and for some reason Momo kept trying to twist my head off. Now you know as much as we do."

"Wait... what?" Aang was still a bit disoriented, though the headache was fading fast.

"I'll give you the details later," Sokka said. "The important thing is that you guys are awake. How do you feel? You've been out for a while."

The sun had yet to break the horizon, but it was close enough that its light was already filling the sky. The last Aang remembered, it had just gotten dark. He ran a hand over his bald head. Well, at least it hadn't been long enough this time that his hair had grown back, though that didn't make any of this any less disturbing. They still had no idea what was going on.

They couldn't make sense of any of it. Both Aang and Katara agreed that this wasn't like the last time. There was no pain, no warning. They were sitting on Appa's head one moment, then in a flash, waking up in sleeping bags hours later.

Once everyone was up and awake, Appa picked up out of the ocean and made the last short flight to the Northern Water Tribe. As they neared the wall, they could see a crowd already gathering to greet them. Almost like their arrival had been expected.

They set down just inside the wall, and as soon as they did, Appa was surrounded by people, most of which, Katara thought, look relieved to see them, which left her feeling more uneasy than it should have.

Aang put an arm around her waist, smiled at her, and then swooshed them both into the air, landing lightly next to Appa. Sokka, with Toph holding onto his back, slid down Appa's wet fur.

"Gahhh! Great, now I'm soaked," Sokka complained.

Katara and Aang, as well as a few of the Water Tribesmen that had gathered around, all chuckled a bit. Then with a deep mighty bellow that served as too short a warning, Appa shook himself off, spraying ice cold water everywhere and soaking everyone.

There was no chuckling this time.

"Ok, everyone, just a second," Katara said. With a wave of her hands, some of the water started lifting from her clothes, though not nearly as much as she'd tried for.

Oh no...

"Let me help with that," a familiar voice said from behind them. Water whisped out of her clothes, danced through the air, then thunked into the snow as icicles. The same happened in rapid succession to Aang, Sokka and Toph's clothes as well.

Toph (who was still clinging to Sokka's back for refusal to step on the ice) tilted her ears up in recognition "Hey, isn't that one of the old guys from that... White flower thingie?"

"Pakku!" Katara, her waterbending issues temporarily forgotten, ran over and hugged her old master/new grandfather. "But... what are you doing here? I thought you and Gran Gran..."

Pakku hugged her back. "Oh, don't worry. I only returned so I could pick a successor. I was only planning on staying a few weeks... but then..." Pakku furled his brow.

Katara let the embrace fall away and looked down at the ice. "So, it's happening here as well?" She knew without having to ask, and the question was more a statement to herself than a question to Pakku.

Behind them, Sokka was arguing and fighting with Toph, who was still refusing to get off his back. With a bit of a struggle he finally peeled her off, and she immediately jumped on Aang. They both tumbled to the ground, but Toph ended up victorious, and stood on Aang like a floor mat. With a blast of air, Aang shot her back up on Appa (probably for the best), where she quickly grabbed some blankets and wrapped them around herself, announcing that, as long as she had to be here, she wasn't getting off "Fluffy".

After all that, Aang tried to join Pakku and Katara's conversation, but was suddenly surrounded by a group of water tribesmen asking a barrage of questions. From what Katara could make out, it was the same subject she was talking to Pakku about. Sokka walked up behind her, but didn't interrupt what was obviously a tense situation.

After a pause, he answered her question.

"I'm afraid so, Katara. It took most of my effort just to pull the water from your clothes. I'm assuming that's why you and the Avatar are here: to try and figure out why all this is happening?"

Katara felt her stomach sink. _So they don't know what's causing it either..._

Pakku, sensing her disappointment, put his hands on her shoulder and smiled at her. "Regardless, as long as I can bend even a single drop of water, I am still you're waterbending master, and I will continue doing my duties as such. Speaking of which, I was on my way to teach a class when I saw you arrive. I would be honored if you would join in."

She knew that Pakku's classes were probably just a way to boost morale, given the current situation, and id that were the case, it was working. Katara smiled, and hugged Pakku again.

"Thank you, I'd like that."

She told Sokka to let Aang know where she had gone, and to join them once he worked his way out of the crowd. Katara began following Pakku, happy memories of last year's training flashing through her mind. It would be nice to see everyone again...

"Ah!" Katara stopped and yelled, pounding her fist into the palm of her other hand, startling both Pakku and Sokka. Sokka grabbed the hilt of his sword and quickly scanned around.

"Calm down, Sokka. We're not being attacked. I finally remembered where I've seen that guy before."

Sokka relaxed his grip, and raised an eyebrow, looking back and forth between Pakku and Katara. He slowly pointed at Pakku.

"Uh, yeah, Katara. That's Pakku. Are you feeling alright?"

Katara sighed. "Yes Sokka, thank you, I know who Pakku is! I'm talking about that guy from the marketplace."

Sokka gave her a strange look. "Ok, I'm gonna give you one more chance to make some kind of sense, than I'm dragging you to a healer."

Katara looked annoyed. "Remember? A few days ago, in the marketplace, I told you some guy ran into me and that I thought he looked familiar. "

Sokka put a hand on his chin and rubbed it thoughtfully. "No, but continue."

Katara rolled her eyes. "Well, as if you cared, I just remembered where I've seen him before. He's one of Master Pakku's students."


	36. Chapter 35: The Wayward Watertribesmen

**Chapter 35**

The Wayward Water tribesman

"One of my students? Katara, are you sure?" Pakku asked, now more stern than he had been a moment ago. Katara couldn't help but feel like she'd said something wrong.

"Uh, Yeah," she answered, under the impression that Pakku was scrutinizing her every word.

"It was a few days ago, in some city in the Earth Kingdom. Oh, what was his name?" It was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't recall what it was. "Nuh... New..."

"Katara, please follow me. Sokka," he turned to his grandson-in-law and sighed, "please tell the Avatar to see Arnook once he's done playing."

Sokka looked over his shoulder and saw that Aang had wasted no time and was engaging in a snowball fight with the local children who'd gathered around Appa.

They weren't far from where Pakku's students were warming up for this morning's practice. As soon as Pakku arrived, the students snapped to orderly attention. Then, as soon as they saw Katara, that order broke down. She heard her named called out by more than a few students, a mixture of surprise and greetings. A few more started whispering amongst themselves.

Pakku's stern tone cut through it all and his students snapped back to order.

"Sangok," he called out, and one of the students stepped forward and swallowed, perhaps thinking he was in trouble for something, or just maybe worried that he was being volunteered as Katara's sparring partner.

"It would seem that Katara has found Naghoda."

Sangok looked at her slack jawed for a moment, and then a smile widened on his face. For a second Katara was sure he was about to start crying just before a swarm of hands grabbed him and pulled him into the crowd of other students, where he became the recipient of a headlock and several nuggies.

"See, we told you he'd be fine," the student holding him in the headlock said. Though he was reassuring Sangok, he seemed pretty relieved as well. The other students joined in, all ribbing Sangok, but just as obviously glad to hear the news as well.

Katara herself was a little taken aback. She hardly expected this kind of commotion. Apparently there was more going on with this guy than Katara knew. Nearer to her, and out of ear shot of Sangok, she heard an exchange between two other students.

"Good thing Goda's a better sailor than a fighter."

"That's for sure. I was starting to get worried."

Sangok broke out of the crowd and stumbled over to Katara.

"Where is he? Is he alright? Why hasn't he come home yet?" Sangok asked. The other students crowded behind him, also waiting for her answer.

"Well, actually..."

"You can ask your questions on the way, Sangok," Pakku said, settling some order back into the group. "For now, I think it best that you bring Katara to see Sesha. She'll want to know that her son is safe."

"Yes, you're right, Master," Sangok said as he bowed to Pakku. Pakku returned the bow. Then Sangok waved at Katara as he rushed off. Katara also gave a quick bow to Pakku then followed. Once they got out of sight from the class, Sangok slowed from a run to let Katara catch up, and then proceeded at a fast walk once she did. Before Sangok could ask anything, Katara had a question of her own.

"So what's up with this guy? What was all that commotion about?"

"What do you mean?" Sangok asked. "Don't tell me he didn't say anything about his trip when you guys met?"

"Well, no..." Katara shrugged. "We didn't actually talk or anything. We literally just kind of bumped into each other. I don't even think he recognized me to be honest."

Sangok stopped and gave her confused look.

"What's wrong?" Katara asked.

He mulled over something for a second, and his hand went to the back of his neck, rubbing it nervously. "I probably shouldn't tell you this, but he had kind of a crush on you. So that just sounds a little weird. Are you sure he didn't recognize you?"

"Oh," Katara said, a little embarrassed. She quickly reviewed the encounter in her mind, trying to think if she'd missed something. Maybe he'd just been too embarrassed to talk to her, or something. Unfortunately, other than clonking heads with the guy, there really wasn't much else about the occasion that would have made her commit any of its details to memory, so she couldn't adequately recall much more than that.

Sangok shrugged his shoulders and kept walking. "Anyway, a few months ago, Naghoda left on his own to sail around the Earth Kingdom."

"But, what about the war?" Katara asked. Heck, doing something like that on your own seemed dangerous enough without hostile Fire Navy ships all over the place.

"It's kind of a long story," Sangok said. "See, Naghoda's dad was a boat builder, Goda worked as his apprentice, and I guess they had this trip around the Earth Kingdom planned for a while. I know it sounds dangerous, but the two of them were really good sailors, and even though Naghoda wasn't much of a waterbender, but he knew enough to handle a boat pretty well. I think the only reason he trained his waterbending at all was so he could handle a boat better."

Sangok leaned in and spoke in a quieter tone. "In fact, I'm pretty sure his mom and grandma were teaching him how to be a healer. He never was much for fighting."

That stirred a bit of a memory in Katara. She vaguely remembered Pakku setting her up against Naghoda in her first sparring match. She'd beaten him so easily that, at the time, she thought that other student was just going easy on her, but if what Sangok was saying was right, maybe this Naghoda really was just that bad at fighting. Then she realized why Sangok was whispering this to her and got suddenly offended.

"Wait a minute! Why are you acting like that should be some kind of secret! Is there something wrong with being a healer?" Some water and snow kicked up around Katara as she waterbent it unconsciously.

Sangok put up his hands and waved her off, "No no no, it's just, you know... girl stuff."

"Girl stuff, huh?" A water whip formed around her hand. "Just like fighting is 'boy stuff?' Should I remind you who whipped all your butts last year?"

Sangok realized he was quickly painting himself into a corner. "I didn't mean anything against you or healing or anything. It's just that it would be kind of embarrassing if people knew that Naghoda knew healing."

Katara let the water whip splash back to the ground with a groan. _This tribe and its stupid __traditions_, she thought. After what she had to go through last year, she supposed change takes time. Sangok wiped the sweat of his brow as she backed off. Katara stormed ahead a bit, but had to slow down and let Sangok catch up when she realized that she didn't actually know where they were going.

Katara started back in on the conversation once she calmed herself down a bit. "Sorry about that. Now, you were saying something about Naghoda and his dad sailing around the Earth Kingdom?"

Sangok continued, "Well, that was the plan at least."

There was a pause, and from the look on his face, Katara already knew what he was going to say next. "But then Naghoda's dad died earlier this year, and he..."

"He did the trip by himself instead," Katara finished for him.

"Yeah," Sangok said. "We don't know why he went by himself. It was so stupid of him."

Katara didn't say anything, but she understood completely. It was for the same reason she'd gone with Zuko to hunt down Yon Ra, the man who killed her mother. It was about closure.

"Oh, we're here," Sangok said, stopping in front of a door-shaped slab of ice in the side of a small building. In the middle of the ice slab was a circle surrounding a wave, the moon and ocean, symbols of the watertribe. It was the same symbol that adorned the one hanging from her necklace. Katara found this type of door much more ascetically pleasing than the usual whale bone and seal skin flaps used elsewhere around the city, but then, since only waterbenders sealed their houses this way, Katara's tastes were somewhat biased.

Sangok put his hand on the door and, after a bit of strain, liquefied some of the ice. It swirled into a ball of water in his hand than solidified into a chunk of ice, which he then used as a knocker for the door. Watching the effort it took for him perform such a simple task was a stark reminder of why they'd come here in the first place.

A few loud 'thunks' echoed through the ice sheet. A few seconds later, the door wavered, turned to liquid, and split down the middle. The water flowed and melded into the walls around it and refroze.

A tired looking older woman approached from inside the house. The first thing that struck Katara about her was just how tall she was. Katara barely came to her chest, and if she had to guess, she'd imagine that her own father would only stand to about her shoulders or chin.

"Yes? Can I help you?" the woman asked. She sounded tired and spoke softly. Her hair looked frazzled, and instead of being styled in any traditional Watertribe manner, it was held back out of her face in a loosely tied ponytail, with a few straw strands lying over her shoulders and face. Her hand moved up and brushed the rebel strands away from her face. There were dark circles under her bloodshot eyes. Almost as if she'd either just woken up, or hadn't slept well for a while. Despite her haggard appearance, Katara could still recognize that she was a beautiful woman, and it was heartbreaking to see her in such a state.

Katara realized that brutal distress written across this woman's face was because, after everything Sangok had told her, she probably thought her son was dead. Katara went to speak, but Sangok beat her to it.

"Naghoda's alright!" he said with a huge smile on his face. "This girl, Katara ran into him a few days ago and..."

Sangok trailed off as Naghoda's mother looked at them in shock. For a second, no one said anything, and then tears started pouring down her face as though she'd been holding them back for days, or perhaps weeks. She fell to her knees and planted her hands on top of them. Katara approached her and put a hand on her shoulder. She was about to say something to the woman, when she was suddenly wrapped in a tight embrace.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" the woman repeated over and over through heavy sobs and wide grin. Even on her knees she was taller than Katara, and Katara's face ended up buried in her shoulder. Wrapped in this woman's arms, Katara didn't really know what to do, so she hugged her back. After all, it seemed like she could use it.

While still trapped in the hug, the woman began to ask Katara a flurry of questions.

"Where did you meet him? Is he alright? Did he tell you when he's coming home, or why he stopped writing, or why it's taken him so long?"

"Uh well, I..." Katara tried to answer. Sesha pulled back from the embrace and looked her in the eyes.

"He's alright isn't he? He hasn't gotten himself in trouble? He is returning home isn't he?"

Unfortunately, other than where she'd run into him, Katara couldn't answer anything else, and unfortunately had to tell her so.

"Sorry." She finished, "but I really didn't talk to him. He looked fine though."

She nodded and smiled. It may not have been all the answers she was looking for, but just hearing her son was alright seemed enough for now, and Katara found herself buried in another hug. After a minute, and with a wide smile brightening her tired face, she invited them both in, but Sangok said he should probably get back to class, though Katara could tell that he was doing his best not to start crying himself and was just using class as an excuse to leave before he did. _Ty__pical Watertribe macho nonsense_, she thought.

Naghoda's mother seemed to sense it too, because she didn't insist. Instead, she bowed, thanked him, and sent him on his way. Katara herself didn't have much reason to stay either. After all, she'd already told her everything she knew about her son, but Katara suspected that this woman really just wanted someone to talk to, and Katara was more than happy to be that person. Naghoda's mother wiped her eyes, and smiled at Katara.

"I'm sorry, dear. Here I am, crying all over you, and I haven't even introduced myself. My name's Sesha," she said as she bowed.

Katara bowed back, "I'm Katara."

Sesha raised an eyebrow. "The same Katara who fought master Pakku last year?"

"Oh, yeah, that." With all their traditions, Katara wasn't sure what to expect, so did her best to suppress a smile, but Sesha did no such thing. She beamed at Katara.

"Well then, I have two reasons to be honored by your presence, and if I recall, my mother spoke highly of you as well."

"Your mother?" Katara asked, a bit confused.

"Yagoda. She trains the young healers, and trained you for a few days before your blow up with Pakku, if you recall."

Katara did, but it wasn't a happy memory. In fact, she'd been angry the entire time she was forced to learn healing instead of fighting and honestly didn't remember the old woman's name until just now. She'd apparently left a better impression than she thought she did.

_Wa__it a minute__,_ Katara thought, _Yagoda. Naghoda._ _Huh, __he __must be named after his grandmother... sort of._

Sesha led her inside and pulled out one of the chairs seated around an unexpectedly ornate kitchen table that seemed completely out of place in such a humble little home. The table top was a few inches thick, much more than what it needed to be, and every inch of the thick sturdy legs were carved with ornate symbols and intricate lines. Sesha noticed Katara examining the table and smiled.

"One of the benefits of having a craftsman for a husband." A fact she seemed very proud of. Katara hadn't noticed at first, but as she looked around the small house, she noticed all the furniture had a similar level of detail.

"Please have a seat. I'll put on some tea."

Katara pulled out a chair and almost sat down, but noticing Sesha's shaking hands fumbling with the fire rocks, went over to her. She took the stones from Sesha's hands and smiled at her.

"Why don't you just take a seat and I'll worry about the tea." Sesha nodded and let Katara take care of it. Katara went over to the small alcove in the corner of the kitchen where she filled the teapot from water flowing in from an outside aqueduct. She lit a small fire to hang the teapot over (most water tribe homes didn't have stoves - it wasn't a good idea to make your house too warm when it was made of ice) she noticed Sesha holding a small, intricately carved picture frame in her hands. She smiled at the picture and ran a hand over it. When Sesha looked up, Katara looked away, a bit embarrassed and feeling that she was intruding on something.

Sesha smiled warmly and set the picture down facing Katara. "My husband, from our wedding day," she explained. "I was just telling him that our son is safe."

While waiting for the water to reach a boil, Katara sat down and looked at the picture.

In it was a much younger Sesha dressed in a traditional water tribe wedding furs, though the man standing next to her seemed to be dressed in Earth Kingdom attire. Although, that was hardly the most unusual thing about the couple. The man in the picture was as short as Sesha was tall. Sokka had once teased Katara about Aang being shorter than her, but this guy looked even shorter than Aang. If the artist had done his job and this picture was accurate, the discrepancy between the two of them was nearly two feet.

Katara was pulled away from the picture by the sound of Sesha laughing. At which point Katara realized she'd been looking at the picture with a plainly confused scrutiny. She tried to stammer out an apology, but Sesha waved her off and chuckled a bit.

"It's quite alright, dear. I'm well aware that we made a bit of an odd couple. And not just because he was from the Earth Kingdom."

Katara still felt bad, if a bit relieved, and gave the picture one last glance. While the picture was lightly colored, the artist seemed to pay special attention to the subject's eyes. Hers painted a bright blue, his deep green.

Katara handed the picture back to Sesha, and she held it in both hands.

"He was visiting from the Earth Kingdom so he could learn how the watertribe built boats. Then we met and he decided to extend his stay a bit longer. That was about 20 years ago. He may not be much to look at, but he was the kindest, warmest man I'd ever met... That's why I fell in love with him."

Tears welled up and rolled down her cheeks. She gave the picture a smile and a sigh, then set it on the table between them, almost as if it was occupying the empty chair between them.

"This is the only picture I have of him..."

"Sangok told me what happened. I'm sorry."

She placed a hand on the table in front of the picture, almost like she was holding an invisible hand. "I miss him so much... I think about him every day. Though I think Naghoda's had a harder time of it than I did. They were very close, more like best friends than father and son. They even worked together. In fact, it was my son who carved this picture frame."

Sesha smiled and began to indulge in a memory as Katara got up to pour the tea. Though it was Sesha herself who seemed to be the intended audience, Katara felt honored to be able to hear it. It was a rare person that would expose their heart in such a way to someone that was practically a stranger. Katara wondered if her son was the same way, and if he was, she also hoped that it hadn't gotten him in trouble. There were a lot of people out there that might try and take advantage of someone like that. She handed Sesha her tea and took a seat, as Sesha continued her story.

"He just wouldn't stop getting into his father's tools. Of course he was only six at the time, so he didn't really know how to use them. He'd bend the saw blades, chip the chisels... my husband even tried locking everything up, but Naghoda just taught himself how to pick the locks." Sesha laughed and smiled, her face brightened with the story though it didn't completely mask her underlying sadness. These were happy memories, but also reminders that her husband was gone, and her son still missing.

"After that, my husband decided that if he was so determined to get his hands on those tools, he may as well teach him how to use them. They worked side by side ever since. Until..."

She closed her eyes tightly to hold back the tears. Katara gave her a concerned look, but Sesha raised a hand and smiled at her and explained that she was fine. She stood up and said, "I know, perhaps you can show me what town it was you saw him in." She motioned for Katara to follow her. Out in the main room, Sesha walked over to a chest covered in scrolls. Sesha explained that these were all the letters her son had sent back from his travels. She started handing Katara scroll after scroll, telling her to set them somewhere (she apparently needed something from the chest.) Before handing Katara the last one, she held it in her hand for a second and looked at it, explaining to Katara, "This was the last letter I received."

She handed her the scroll, then turned around and opened the chest. Katara wasn't sure if she was supposed to read it, but curiosity got the better of her, and while Sesha got whatever it was she was getting from the chest, Katara unrolled the parchment and read it over.

_**Hey mom. I **__**am **__**doing good, and everything has been going better than I expected. I'm over halfway done now, and by the t**__**ime you get this, I should only be a few weeks out. I guess training with Master Pakku was good for something. At least wat**__**erbending makes the trip faster, e**__**specially when there's no wind.**_

_** Now for the part I'm sure you're worried about... I've started**__** moving up the south eastern shore**__**, w**__**hich means I'll be passing close to the Fire Nation soon. Don't worry**__**,**__** though. Ok, that's not going to happen, but I want you to know I have plan. So at least try and worry a little less.**_

_** For the next week or so, a**__**t least until I'm far enough away from the Fire Nation, I'm going to be sailing at night and sleeping in the day. That should make it pretty easy to avoid the ships in the area. The full moon was only a few days ago, so I should have enough light. Durin**__**g the day, I'll find somewhere to dock my boat and set up camp out of si**__**ght**__**. There's plenty of rivers and little islands and forests and alcoves and things like that all along the coast, so finding somewhere to hide during the day shouldn't be a problem.**_

_** I love you mom, and I'll be home soon.**_

_** -Naghoda**_

_** P.S. One more thing**__**...**__**I overheard some villagers talking about some comet that's passing by in a few days. Keep an eye out for it and just remember that I'm watching it too! See you in a few weeks.**_

"Here we go!" Sesha said as she pulled out a thick slab of folded parchment. Katara rolled Naghoda's last letter back up and followed Sesha back into the kitchen where she unfolded the parchment across the table. It was a world map big enough that it covered every inch of the table and even hung off the sides a bit. It was intricately detailed, not just marking cities and roads, but ocean currents as well. Sokka would be drooling.

"I was marking off which towns the letters came in from," Sesha pointed out all the little X's running along the border of the Earth Kingdom. Katara could see that he started out heading east along the Earth Kingdoms northern border and heading towards Ba Sing Se. Then, south along its eastern most border, then back west along its southern shores. Katara noticed that, since he stayed close to the coast, he hadn't stopped at Kyoshi Island, but he had sent letters from a few other towns Katara was familiar with. Gao Ling, Toph's hometown, was marked with an X, as was Chin, where Aang had been put on trial. There were a few more X's trailing up the coast, and then the trail stopped.

Sesha put her hand over that last X and smiled at Katara, explaining, "This was the last I'd heard from him until you arrived. Now, where's this town you say you saw him in? I'd like nothing more than to add another mark to this map!"

Sesha was lit up, looking over the map with enthusiasm and a bright smile. Katara was glad that she stayed. It took her a minute to find it (she wasn't as good at maps as her brother,) but when she did, Sesha gladly X'd it off. Then she paused for a moment and gave the map and odd look.

"What wrong?" Katara asked.

"Oh, it's nothing, I just..." Sesha said, a bit perplexed, "I don't know why he'd be at an inland city. I wonder if something happened to the boat."

Katara just sort of shrugged her shoulders, and Sesha realized that there was really no point in speculating. She could always ask him when he got home.

- # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # -

Aang was glad to get away from the crowd. All anyone had done since they'd landed was barrage him with questions he couldn't answer. Then Katara had gone off with Pakku without telling him, Toph refused to get off Appa, and Sokka had gone looking for food. So now it was Aang and Momo standing outside the door to the Spirit Oasis.

He reached up and scratched Momo on the chin. "You ready buddy?" Aang asked.

Momo responded with a few chittering noises and purred.

"Good!" Aang said, and then opened the door.

It was just as beautiful and pristine as he remembered it. Despite all the beauty and serenity surrounding him, as he neared the pond, he found a stark reminder of why he was here. The white koi fish, the physical embodiment of the moon spirit on earth, swam listlessly around the pond. The pond itself gave off a strange energy. Aang could feel a palpable tension in the air. Even Momo didn't paw at the fish, which Aang had already been prepared to stop him from doing. Instead the little lemur jumped down from his shoulder and scooted to the side of the pool. He turned his head sideways then turned to Aang and chittered away.

"I know Momo, that's why where here."

Aang sat down in front of the pool, crossed his legs and closed his eyes. Momo jumped into his lap, momentarily breaking his concentration. After twisting in a few circles, Momo seemed to find a preferable position and lay down in Aang's lap. Aang closed his eyes and went back to meditating. He felt his awareness grow, and his connection to his physical self melt away, but as he tried to reach out and connect with moon spirit, Roku's voice called him back.

Aang opened his eyes to see Roku standing in front of him, his hazy blue form floating in the air just above the pond.

"Aang, there's something that's been bothering about this fire spirit. Something we need to discuss."

- # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # -

The Jasmine Dragon tea shop had yet to open for the day, and its owner was already preparing to leave. Iroh had taken a few days longer to get ready than Makato had hoped and was, even at this moment, running over some last minute details with Jin, whom he was leaving in charge while he was gone.

When Iroh finally came out of the back room with a pack thrown over his shoulder, Makato was relieved that they were finally getting under way, though that feeling wouldn't last very long.

There was a pounding on the door that startled everyone. Even though he was a firebender, Makato's hand went reflexively to a sword that wasn't there. Iroh put a hand on his shoulder to calm him.

"My customers must be especially thirsty this morning," Iroh laughed, though they both knew that wasn't the case. Iroh moved past him and opened the door, where he was greeted by several soldiers. Not just any soldiers, either; these were palace guards.

"Mr..." the lead soldier looked down at a piece of paper in his hand and gave it a cock eyed look, "...Mushi," he said the name as though knowing it was false.

"Yes," Iroh answered. He held his hands behind his back as a way to appear nonthreatening, but from behind him, Makato could see his fists clenching in preparation. Luckily, it was unwarranted.

The guard looked him over then took a few steps back. "Please come with us. The Earth King requests your audience."

- # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # -

Katara left Sesha's, pleased that Sesha was feeling better. She only wished she had more information to give her, but what little she did have seemed to make a world of difference. So, despite everything else going on, she was making her way through the city with a smile on her face. That is until she realized she was lost. The lower reaches of the city felt like a maze, and after fifteen minutes of wandering around, Katara was beginning to get frustrated.

She finally found a path that looked to lead to a wide open area a few blocks down. Maybe she could get her bearings if she could see more of the city, so she followed the little road until she was out of the buildings, and she found something she couldn't have possibly imagined.

Soldiers everywhere, training, sparring, running through drills, waterbenders straining to throw out attacks at wooden dummies dressed like Fire Nations soldiers, men with spears and knives doing the same.

As far as Katara could tell, it looked as though the Northern Watertribe was preparing for war.

Author's Note: Just to avoid any confusion, "Naghoda" is pronounced "Nuh-go-duh".

"Sesha", is actually a variation on "Shesh", the Inuit word for "brown bear". Which is sort of a reference/parallel to "Ursa", which is (as some of you may know) Latin for "bear" or "Mother bear."


	37. Chapter 36: Breaking Point

**Ok, it's been too long since the last chapter, so I don't want to waste any of your time explaining why, suffice it to say that pretty much everything in my personal life went to crap. If you really want to know the details, feel free to PM me, but I don't want to waste space on it here. That being said, everything's relatively back to normal and, the universe willing, I'll be back to updating at more regular intervals now.**

Alright, enough about me, on with the story.**  
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**Chapter 36**

_Breaking Point_

"_Why is my bedroom so cold?"_ was the first thought on Azula's mind as she woke from an uncomfortable night's sleep. Though ground she lay on felt too hard and uncomfortable to be a bed. It was cold and hard and rough. She struggled against her bedding to get a hand free but once she did, it wasn't soft, smooth silk that her hand trailed over, but a cold stony surface next to her head. It was a jarring reminder. That's right, she wasn't in her room, hadn't been for a long time. She was in a cell, wasn't that it. Locked up and sleeping in rags on Zuko's orders. Even though her eyes were now open, she couldn't see a thing. Her cell was too dark and... No, that didn't seem right either?

Her thoughts felt like flies trapped in the cobwebs of her mind, and the more she struggled to free them, the more tangled they became. Everything felt off, not quite real, like a dream but she knew she wasn't dreaming.

A cave, I'm in a cave.

Now it was coming back to her as her drowsiness finally began to subside. She pushed herself up off the ground, peeling one bedroll off top of her and throwing down on top of the other. Both were soaked in sweat and it was only now, that despite how cold it was in the cave, she was burning up.

She took a few steps toward the pale light filtering in from entrance, then doubled over onto her hands and knees, and almost threw up as a wave of nausea washed over her. After a few deep breaths she was able to get a hold of herself. She felt sick and weak. Walking hurt all over and made her stomach roll. She took a few more breaths before moving again, and was sure to go about it much slower this time.

"Azula!" A voice, commanding and sharp, filled the cave. Instinctively she stood to attention as her father finished speaking. "Do not keep me waiting Azula!"

She picked her feet up and moved as quickly as she could to the cave entrance. It was dark once she got outside, which didn't seem right. Hadn't she seen light filtering in from the entrance just a moment ago?

Her father was waiting outside, standing at the cliff's edge. A young man (who didn't look to be wearing any clothes) was sitting on the ground next to him. Yu seemed oblivious to the Fire Lord standing next to him and just sat there, looking out over the valley.

Ozai extended his hand toward Yu. A small glowing ball of flame swirled to life in Ozai's hand. He turned and looked to Azula with disapproval, and worse, disappointment. He said nothing because he didn't have to. It was all plain on his face. This was punishment for her disobedience.

_"I think she should take her precious little peasant and toss him over the cliff."_

_"Yes… Yes, you're right, Azula. That does seem rather appropriate."_

She'd defied him, and such things carried consequences.

Azula watched frozen as Yu exploded into a pillar of fire. It twisted into the sky, turning everything as bright as day and consuming everything around it. Her father disapeared, completely wiped away by the flames. The ground blistered and peeled away as it swirled, pulsed, and grew even larger. The only thing she had time to do was throw her arms up in front of her face in an attempt shield herself. And in a flash of light...

Nothing happened. After a moment of feeling her heart beat in her ears, she slowly opened her eyes to find nothing around her burnt, much less herself. It was daytime, Yu was still sitting by the cliffs edge (and thankfully, he wasn't naked as she had first thought, he was at least wearing some pants), but her father was nowhere to be seen, and she was lying on the ground shielding herself from pillar of fire that didn't exist. She felt her stomach lurch again, and this time she couldn't hold it back. On her hands and knees already, she scrambled to the bushes,= and offered them a most un-princess like prayer. Even in the middle of this, she already getting pre-angry at Yu, fully expected having to fend off some clumsy and misplaced attempt at helping her.

Though he ended up doing something that made her even angrier. And that was nothing at all. No childish words of concern or pity floated her way, and the hands she half expected to feel on her shoulders at any moment ever came. When she was finished, she looked to see him sitting in the same spot as though he hadn't even noticed.

What was his problem!

Then she _did_ feel a hand rest on one shoulder, and this one sent a shiver down her spine.

"You know." Her Other whispered in her ear. "A little shove is all it would take. Who knows, father might even consider forgiving you."

She twirled and swatted at the air, almost like she was swatting at insects, but there was nothing there. Part of her hoped this little flurry of commotion would catch Yu's attention, but still, he just sat there.

So she marched up behind him (and in no way trying to be quite) stopped and stood there for a few moments. She crossed her arms and waited.

_ Say something! Do something! Stop ignoring me!_

Fine! If he didn't want to talk, then... but she couldn't get her feet to move from that spot. She could sense them waiting for her, like shadows dancing around the edge of her periphery that she could never quite see unless they wanted her too. She knew it was crazy, what she was seeing couldn't possibly be real, but knowing that didn't change how completely real it all felt when it happened. Like she was teetering between realities, and that's why she wanted, no, needed Yu to acknowledge her. While her confidence in reality was slowly eroding, his presence was the one constant that made her feel secure that this really was real.

She didn't want to feel her Others hand sliding over her shoulder and whispering in her ear, or her mother chastising her , or worst of all, turn around to find her father glaring down at her...

A few minutes passed, and he still just sat there staring over the valley and taking no notice that she was standing behind him. He would make a slight move his head, shift position, or look down at his hands, but other than that it was like she wasn't even there. Of course she very well could have said something, or tried to get his attention in any number of ways, but she didn't. Because, even with her whole world seemingly crumbling around her, and while she could never admit this to herself on a conscious level, taking any action to get his attention would be like an open admission to the fact that, instead of just using him, she actually needed him.

It was finally the horrible taste in the mouth that made her back away and leave. She needed water. She could see from here that the little waterfall trickling into the valley over the path wasn't flowing anymore, which made sense if it had been fed from the lake. She just hoped that Yu's... incident last night hadn't completely evaporated their only source of water.

The closer she got to the lake, the worse things looked. Trees started missing pine needles, then even further in, didn't have any at all. She hadn't heard a single chirp or animal noise all morning, and just around the clearing the grass was burnt black, and the surrounding trees were baked on the lake facing side; and speaking of the lake, it was little more than a shallow muddy crater. That wasn't good.

Luckily, after circling a little around the lake, she found a shallow puddle of relatively clean water in a depression at the lakes edge. She leaned down and filtered some into her cupped hands, being careful not to stir up any silt, though what was sitting in her hands was still far from clean. She took a sip anyway just to rinse her mouth, but as soon as it hit her lips, she couldn't deny how incredibly she was. She quickly rinsed, spat, than, foregoing her cupped hands, and leaned down to suck water directly from the little pool. Water had never tasted this good.

She drank until she couldn't breathe, then pulled her lips away, and rubbed handfuls of water over her face, scrubbing away the grim and dirt while she gathered breath, then leaned down to drink some more.

"You look like some kind of stray mongrel."

Azula jumped to her feet at the sound of her own voice taunting her. Her Other was standing behind her, inspecting her fingernails the whole time and not looking at Azula (a habit Azula herself had taken to doing as a way to make those she talked to feel ignored and insignificant. Being on the other side of it, She had to admit it was amazingly effective for how infuriating it was). Her Other looked up and shot her a look of pure concentrated disgust.

"You know, after disobeying Father the way you did last night, I was beginning to think that you were no better than Zuko. It appears I was wrong. You're worse."

Azula exploded. She blasted the ground where her Other stood with a torrent of blue flames. When it washed away her other was gone, but Azula could still feel her presence lurking nearby. She spun around, spitting, throwing and blasting fire everywhere. Throwing it wildly from her hands, it spilled into the air, washed over the ground and licked between charred trees. It was only for the sake that everything around her had already been burnt that nothing caught on fire. There was no grace to her movements, no hint at all of the finesse and refinement that would expected of a fire-bending prodigy. This was am angry, hurt little girl throwing the worlds most dangerous temper tantrum.

"I am nothing like Zuko! Nothing!" she screamed at the empty air, still pouring out equal amounts of rage and fire that only came to a stop when she didn't have enough of either left in her.

She fell to her knees, tears pouring down her face and falling on the backs of her balled up shaking fists.

"Why didn't you take me with you. I should have been on that airship, I could have helped you. We could have won this war together. After everything I've done, I deserved it! How could you leave me behind like that! How could you... how could..."

"How could he treat you like Zuko?" Her mother finished for her. Azula lifted her head and glared at Ursa as she approached. When sh leaned down to place her hands on her daughter's shoulders, Azula slapped them away.

"No!" Azula jumped to her feet, bitterly wiping the tears from her face as she put some distance between her mother and her. "You don't get to do this! I am so sick of you showing up and trying to play the perfect parent role. You want me to admit that father abandoned me! Tossed me aside when didn't need me anymore! Is that it?" She strode up to her mother and buried a finger in her chest. "Well you did it first!"

"Azula..."

"Shut up!" Azula screamed at her. Blue flames spit out from between her fingers as she balled her fists. "You keep trying to convince me about what a terrible father he was! If that's true, then why didn't you ever try and stop it! Tell me that. If you loved me so much, if you were so worried, then why did you do nothing!"

Ursa looked at Azula with pity, but said nothing. "Say something!" She screamed in her face.

Ursa wouldn't answer. She just looked sorrowfully at her daughter, but still said nothing. Azula's anger erupted like raging river plowing through a damn. "It's because I wasn't Zuko! I was so important to you, that I didn't even get a goodbye when you left. 'Everything I've done, I've done to protect you'. Isn't that what you old your precious little Zuzu! Oh yes mother, I was there, listening outside Zuko's room. I remember it so clearly because that's the night I finally found out how much I really meant to you!

She wrapped her hands around the collar of her mother's robes and pulled her face to face. "Everything to protect Zuko and nothing to protect me!"

If Ursa had a response, Azula didn't have time to hear it. A hand, large and strong, wrapped around her neck from behind and threw her to the ground. She tumbled over herself and came to a rest on her back.

"So, I was a terrible father, was I?" His voice cut into her ears. Her heart jumped into her throat and her whole body went rigid. Standing above her was a dark silhouette, only its eyes visible, piercing down at her through a shroud of black.

Oh no! No, no. That not what she'd meant. That was about her mother, not him. She wasn't angry at him. She wasn't! She tried to say something, tried to beg forgiveness. But nothing she was thinking would make it's way out of her mouth. Instead she just lay there, still and shaking, looking up at him dumbfounded.

"Tell me Azula. What, exactly, was it you needed protection from?" He asked, approaching her slowly. She was scrambling away from him, but didn't even realize she was retreating until her left arm splashed into the murky little pool of water. Splashing into the cold water was just enough to break the spell. She opened her mouth to explain herself, but the opportunity was taken from her. His impossibly strong hand clenched around her throat again and slammed her head into the puddle, pushing her head beneath the water. She tried to scream, but only a shrill gurgle escaped the water's surface. She beat at his arm and clawed at his hand, all the while desperately trying to beg his forgiveness through the water that was quickly stealing her every last breath.

_ Please, father, please! I didn't mean it. I di__dn't mean it!_

She could see his him through the water, standing over her, holding her under, punishing her, and even though his visage was distorted, there was no mistaking the bright flickering ball of yellow light in his other hand.

Despite her head being held underwater, his words came cleanly to her ears. "You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher."

His hand crashed into the water and she felt the side of her face boil and burn. The water hissed, she screamed, though she couldn't tell which sound was which. The last of the air left her lungs and a mouthful of water replaced it. His hand let go and she wrenched herself free from the water. She rolled to her side, hacking and coughing, spitting out water, sucking in air and spitting out more water. When she could breathe, she scrambled back to the pool.

He'd burned her. Please no, he'd burned her face.

Before she could splash water on the wound, she saw in the reflection that there was no burn. She almost didn't trust her own eyes. Reaching a hand up, she winced when she touched her cheek, but felt nothing there. No burn, no scar, no pain. Her face (except for being even dirtier now), was fine.

Then there was clapping, and despite not looking up, she knew who it was. Strange how she could even make clapping could sound arrogant. "Such a fine little performance."

Azula didn't have the energy left to deal with her Other. She just sat at the edge of the little water hole trying to keep her stomach steady.

"Boo hoo. All this drama just because mommy and daddy didn't love you. So what. Father was training us to be above these petty concerns. He wanted you to lead, and love has nothing to do with that." Her Other leaned down and gave a condescending little chuckle into her ear. "

"You're so pathetic, I have half a mind to give up on you myself."

Give up? It was terrifying to Azula how comforting that idea felt. Just give up, give in and let go. All this pain and hardship behind, jut gone. Her entire world was taken from her, and it seemed less and less by the day that she'd even have any of that back again.

She threw up again.

- # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # -

The city of Yenrai was in a panic. Rumors flew around the streets like a pack of angry dragonflies.

"I heard some bandits found some secret Fire Nation weapon!"

"Bandits! It's those rougue soldiers I've been hearing about. They've come to take our city!"

If Zuko could have picked the single worst time for his airship to come zooming up to the cities gates, this would be it. Before it could even touch down, the ship was surrounded. City guards and soldiers did their best to hold everyone back, but they're simply weren't enough. It was mostly just rotten fruit and vegetables splatting against the side of the ship, but the occasional earthbent stone or large rock clanged against its hull as well.

Zuko was on the bridge, looking out in dismay. This entire trip was getting worse and worse with each passing day. He'd half expected Aang to be here when he arrived. Whatever it was he saw last night certainly seemed like it should be Avatar stuff, but so far there was no sign. So for now, he'd just have to check this phenomenon out himself.

"Pitchforks?" He heard Mai whisper dryly behind him. "They're actually wielding pitchforks? I thought that was something they only did that in those cheesy old monster plays."

Zuko turned and headed off the bridge towards the loading ramp. After a few protests from his personal guards, Jian finally released the locks on the ramp and let it fall open. Zuko didn't come all this way to hide inside his airship. If these people were angry with him, he'd find a way to make them understand. Luckily, the cities soldiers seemed to be doing a good enough job of keeping the crowd back, and as soon as the loading ramp opened the back of the ship like the great maw of a whale-shark and the citizens saw the Fire Lord standing there, they were too confused and shocked to keep up the assault on the ship anyhow. The crowd broke into swelling noise of perplexed murmurs and questions between themselves.

One of the soldiers, a captain by the look of it, came running up the ramp. Zuko's guards readied themselves, but Zuko waved them down. The captain noticed, exchanged a look with them, then slowed himself and gave Zuko a slight bow before echoing the same doubt had felt earlier.

"No offense Fire Lord, but you couldn't have chosen a single worse day to make a surprise visit. I've got a lot of scared people here and the Fire Nation ain't exactly popular in these parts. I'll cut to the chase, I assume this has something to do with that crazy light show last night?"

Zuko nodded. "I need to speak to whoever's in charge of this city immediately."

The captain turned around and made a few hand motions to his men, and they began to split a path in the crowd. Another hand motion popped up a slab of rock at the base of the ramp. They were apparently riding into town on that.

Four of Zuko's guards accompanied him and the captain as they stepped up on the slab. Before moving, the captain asked. "What was that anyway. Lots of crazy rumors running around the streets right now and you showing up like this will probably only make it worse."

"I don't know. That's what I'm here to find out." As Zuko answered, Mai appeared at the top of the ramp.

"I'm going too." and before Zuko could say anything, "I've been on this stuffy heap of junk for days, I'm bored, and you're taking me with you."

And that was that.

- # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # -

Yu's recollection of last night was spotty. Most of it was there, some of it wasn't. He remembered when it started. He'd been in the cave with Azula... he'd almost touched her when his hand was on fire. It was scary to think about, but what happened next...

It was so far beyond anything he'd experienced up until now with, his odd set of abilities that it didn't even seem to make sense. What was going on? As soon as he noticed his hand glowing, he ran from the cave. His clothes didn't even survive to the forest. As he made his way through the trees, the pain in his chest built in waves. His body was putting off so much heat, trees were starting to smoke as he ran past them. By the end of the path, the last few actually burst into flames.

When he hit the water it didn't do anything other than erupt into steam. Then, a pain like nothing he'd ever felt before. Like something was trying to claw its way out of him from. Then he exploded again. Except this time, it was nothing like what happened at the hospital (which in itself had been a first). Then things got a little spotty. He couldn't see anything but a blinding white light, and he couldn't breathe. He blacked out a few times, waking back up, still covered in the white light, and then blanking out again. Only the last time, it was more bluish than white, then... He was alive, somehow, and Azula was dragging him through the mud... then through the forest... then he woke up the next morning, lying next to the cliff, naked, and covered in mud.

There were a few things in between, but nothing he could be sure of. He thought he remembered hearing Azula arguing, but it wasn't with him... so he couldn't be sure of that.

As soon as he woke up, he checked on the lake, just to make absolutely sure that what he remembered happening, had actually happened.

Yep, it had.

He was able to find a few clean enough puddles of water to scrub the mud off, then get back to change into his last pair of pants. Just in case, he was in and out as quick as he could be. Though may have risked a few extra seconds to make Azula a little more comfortable when he found her scrunched up and huddled at the back of the cave.

After that, he'd been out here, just... thinking.

He'd almost died last night. If it hadn't been for Azula, he would have. Speaking of, Azula could have been killed just as easily. _Because _of him! He couldn't let that happen, but at the same time, he couldn't just leave her out here alone. She wasn't well. He knew that, he'd noticed it a while ago and whatever was happening was getting worse.

So it wasn't safe for him to stay with her, but he couldn't just leave her alone either...

Of course, this was all wrapped up in the fact that his powers seemed intent on killing him. None of this made any sense. His concern about finding out who he was wasn't even much of a concern anymore. With everything else he had on his mind today, the one prevailing thought that cast a cloud over everything was that he wasn't likely to be alive much longer. He didn't want to think that way, but at this point, it seemed inevitable. And it was something he had to factor into everything else he was trying to figure out.

Though, "everything else" pretty much exclusively entailed getting Azula to the authorities and back to that hospital while he still could. Nothing else really seemed to matter anymore.

He was so lost in thought, as mulling over ones mortality can have a tendency to do, that he never heard Azula come out of the cave. He didn't notice her practically breathing down his neck. Didn't hear her yelling in the forest (though it was pretty far away), didn't hear her return, stand behind him one final time, and remain standing there for several minutes, which is where she was right now.

As she stood glaring at the back of his head, his last thoughts wouldn't make it out before getting interrupted.

With her in the condition she was in, what would happen if she was left out here completely on her own? He had to face it. Up until now, despite her worsening condition, the real reason he hadn't tried to alert anyone about her was...

"There had better be a good reason you're not talking to me!"

He almost jumped out of his skin. He twisted around to see Azula standing right behind him. He hadn't even heard her approach, and now that he saw her... she looked kinda terrible. Her hair was wet and muddy, as was the top of her shirt. Her face was a slight bit cleaner, but eyes were red and puffy, like she'd been crying.

He must have been staring too long, or perhaps because he was showing a bit too much concern (She was a bit odd with stuff like that), because she barked at him a little more angry this time.

"Stop looking at me like that and just answer the question. Why haven't you said a single thing all day!"

- # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # -

Back down in Yenrai, at roughly that same moment, Zuko was in the middle of his meeting with the mayor. It wasn't going as well as Zuko had hoped, but better than he'd feared. A force of earthbending soldiers had already been gathered to head into the mountains. Zuko was negotiating, trying to convince the mayor that it was in his best interest to let him join in, along with his own firebenders, to investigate. Unfortunately, the mayor was a stubborn and suspicious old man.

"And what if this is all some kind of trick. Why should I trust you?"

Frustrated, Zuko blurted out. "If I was planning something I would have just flown over the city and bombed it from the air." The mayor's eyebrows flew up and he recoiled in his chair.'

Zuko tried to correct himself. "No no no! That's not what I meant to say. I just meant..."

"Look, here's the deal," Mai's voice piped in as she sat up from the couch she'd been lounging on. Up till now, she been so quite, both Zuko and the Mator had almost forgotten she was there. She stood up and effortlessly flipped the knife she'd been playing with into her sleeve and continued.

"You have some kind of fire related problem going on out there, and you're sending earthbenders to deal with it. Now my stupid boyfriend shows up with firebenders to help you deal with the issue and you turn him away? Honestly, it doesn't really matter to me either way. For all I care, you can send your earthbenders out to get roasted alive and have to deal a city full of angry citizens. Or you can accept our help and once we deal with the problem, you can even take the all credit for yourself and look like a hero."

She sat back down, flipped out a knife and started cleaning under her fingers. "But hey, whatever, I don't really care either way."

Both Zuko and the mayor were silent for several seconds afterword. The Mayor let a few individual syllables fall from his mouth before stumbling into an actual response. If anything, it was Mai's hint that he could tell his people that the Fire Lord was here on his demand, that sealed the deal.

Zuko got his permission on the condition that he brought at least a handful of elite earthbenders with him anyhow. Apparently the Yenrai mountains were a maze of treacherous passes and dead ends that would be almost impossible to navigate safely without earthbender help. Though Zuko suspected it was less to do with that and more that it would make the Mayor look good to have people see his earthbenders escorting the Fire Lord out of town."

"Then it's settled." The mayor said with a gleam in his eyes, "I'll have my men meet you by the gate tomorrow morning..."

"I'll be heading into the mountains in an hour." Zuko said as he turned to leave. "Make sure they're waiting for me at the gate."

"But..."

"Sorry, but there are other issues that require my full attention, so I would prefer to deal with this as fast as possible." Zuko was already out the door with Mai before the Mayor had time to respond. Once they left his office and were being escorted out, Zuko whispered to Mai.

"So what was all that about."

Mai shrugged. "When your job as a child is to sit in a chair and be quiet for hours on end while your dad conducts meetings, you learn a few things about diplomacy." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Remind me to give you a few lessons sometime."

- # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # -

(a slight bit earlier)

Azula was sitting on her knees, staring at her own hands laid palms open in her lap.

She 'd been like this for the last hour. She wasn't angry or sad or crying. She just... didn't have it in her for much of anything right now. She wasn't sure if she had it in her to for anything anymore. Afraid to stand up, afraid to sit still, afraid that if she turned around or lifted her head to look up, another someone would be standing there, waiting to tear her world apart again. But she couldn't just do nothing.

_Why not?_

So she put her feet under her, lifted herself off the ground, and headed back to the cave. She could feel them all around her, just waiting for her to say something, or think something, any excuse they could use to invade her reality again. She could hear their voices whispering at the edge of her consciousness, telling her what to do, and what not to do, arguing with one another, vying for control.

When she made it back to the cave, Yu was still sitting in the same spot, still not noticing her, STILL!

She didn't want to go back in the cave. She still couldn't bring herself to ask for his help... So she wandered past him and down the path a bit with no real destination in mind. She stopped for a moment to catch a breath as she headed down toward the dead waterfall. A thought, scary in how soothing it felt, entered her mind.

How wonderful would it be if she really were in a cell somewhere? If all this really was just some escapist fever dream she'd constructed for herself. Then at least maybe there was hope. Maybe...

She edged herself closer to the edge of the cliff. Put one foot over the edge and looked down. Then fell back against the mountainside and clawed at the sides of her head as though trying to physically rip those thoughts out.

She ran back up the path until she found herself standing behind Yu once again, who was apparently still lost in his own thoughts. _W__ho knew he had enough to even make that possible_, she joked to herself, which was when she realized the other voices had subsided. For a few minutes, that was enough. Just standing here, close to someone she knew wasn't some hallucination, or waking nightmare, honestly seemed to be helping. However, she needed more than just a temporary reprieve. She couldn't fight this on her own anymore. She needed someone real to talk to, someone she knew was there, flesh and blood, without a doubt _real!_

She finally swallowed her pride and spoke up.

"There had better be a good reason you're not talking to me!" She spit out, finally getting his attention. He jumped about a foot in the air, so she'd startled him. That made her slightly happy. At least until he turned around, and after a few seconds of saying nothing, got a sort of worried concerned look about him which reminded her that she probably looked terrible.

"Stop looking at me like that and just answer the question. Why haven't you said a single thing all day!"

He seemed more somber than usual, and after a moment, said "And here I thought you weren't a big fan of me talking." before turning around and clamming up again.

"I'm not. But what I like even less is when I've come to expect a certain behavior out of someone and that behavior suddenly changes. It makes me nervous."

"Of course it does" was all he responded with and went right back to starring out over the valley.

She was already feeling a bit better. A bit more "attached" so to speak, but it would be a lot better if he would just start talking to her! That was the whole reason she was over here. She was too worn out to carry this on her own. For the first time since she'd met him she actually wanted him to run at the mouth, and he wouldn't say more than a few words.

She walked over next to him.

"Move"

"What?"

"I want to sit down, now move over!"

He looked a little confused, but moved over to give her enough room to sit as well and she did. In another first... she now realized she couldn't think of anything to say. Casual conversation had never really been her strong point. What is it normal people are actually supposed to talk about. Luckily she didn't have to. After a few awkward moments, Yu finally said something.

"You know what the worst thing about being fire proof is?" He said holding his hand out in front of him, sort of examining it like it was something new. "I'm always cold. I figure it's because whatever keeps me fireproof, also keeps heat away. It's not too bad I guess. Colds never really bothered me all that much, but it's annoying to huddle around a fire and not be able to feel it. It's just so stupid when you think about it. My two biggest problems are catching on fire and being cold."

While he examined his outstretched hand, she couldn't help but look down to his other arm, the one closest to her. She wondered, purely out of curiosity, if she touched him, would it feel cold? She reached over to put a hand on his forearm before stopping herself. What was she doing? He'd just end up getting the wrong idea. In fact... she wasn't sure why she'd sat so close to him in the first place.

She scooted herself away a bit and let him finish talking. Except it seemed he was again done talking. Ok, great. So it's my turn again. If I can just get him rambling about something… Then it hit her. That second day together, when she was trying to learn anything useful about him (what waste of time), she couldn't get him to shut up...

"Didn't you say your first memory was something about waking up in a forest or something?"

"Well, was it? Might prove a good clue about who you are, don't you think."

"Oh, yeah, I guess. The problem is those first couple of days were kind of fuzzy, but..."

Azula let him trail off, listening to him, but not entirely paying attention. Finally, this was what she needed. Just the hum and drone of another voice helped her feel anchored. With everything else happening around her. He mother, her father, that other her all trying to get to her, confuse her, torture her. This was the one thing that let her know, with absolute certainty, that this was all real.

Too bad that would all come crashing down with Yu's next sentence.

"...so anyway, once someone finally showed me where I was on a map, I was able to backtrack a bit. Oh, what was it called, Wu-something, Wu-hong, no? Hoo-..."

Azula's blood suddenly felt like Ice. Her body tensed and for a moment or two, it felt like her heart stopped. Yu continued trying to sound it out, but Azula didn't need him too. He hadn't even noticed her get up and slowly back away from him.

"Woo Long Forest." Azula eked out, her voice sounding weak, even to her own ears.

"Yeah! That was it." Yu pounded his fist into the other hand. "How did you know?"

When he turned around to look at her, she was looking back as though looking at a ghost. Her eyes wide, her face flush of all color, her hands shaking.

"Azula...? What's wrong?"

How did she know? How could she not. It was _her_ plan after all. Beginning from the coast and not stopping until Ba Sing Se was in ashes, leaving nothing but a burning swath of destruction in it's wake for all the Earth Kingdom to see. Every last bit of the attack on the Earth Kingdom, had been her idea. Including the very spot it would start.

Woo Long Forest.


	38. Chapter 37: Consequences of Azula

**Chapter 37**

_Consequences of Azula_

Katara watched the soldiers scuffle and train through her own frozen breaths of air creating little miniature storm clouds that rolled from her lips and disappeared as quickly as they were created.

One group of soldiers, lined up in rows, charged at training dummies, screaming out war cries as their spears buried into their targets. Then they quickly spun out of the way as the next wave charged in. Another group was doing push-ups while an instructor yelled at them to go faster, every now and then barking out a command for the men to do a push-up clap. She'd seen Sokka attempt the same thing a few times when he thought no one was looking, but unlike these soldiers, he always ended up on his face. That memory would normally have brought a smile to her face, had she not had such a bad feeling about all of this.

While Katara wasn't exactly familiar with Northern Water Tribe military practices, there was just too much tension in the air for this to be routine training, tension so thick that you could cut it with a walrus tusk knife.

A tall, burly man, yelling out orders and moving between the different groups, seemed to be the one in charge. Even if he hadn't been yelling out orders to the different captains, his helmet alone marked him apart from the other soldiers. It was made from a tigerseal's skull, the Water Tribe symbol was carved into forehead and fur trimmed leather draped from the edges to cover the parts of his head and neck that the helmet didn't. With all that, she couldn't make out his face, but a long black and grey streaked beard spilled out from the front of the helmet, and from where she stood, it almost looked like the long dead tigerseal was vomiting fountain of hair.

Aside from that, the only other thing marking his rank was his weapon. He held a large halberd, with a row of sharks' teeth lining the back side of its long, broadly curved blade. At the end of long handle (the blade itself started above his head, and he wasn't a short man) was a heavy stump of whale bone, large enough that it could have been used as a war hammer in its own right, which he thumped into the ground as a way to punctuate his orders.

Then another soldier walked up to him, yelled something she couldn't quite make out, then pointed at her.

Oh, great.

He swung around and glared at Katara.

"You there! What do you think you're doing?" he called out as he stomped toward her, angrily pounding the end of his halberd into the ground with each step.

"This is no place for children, especially little girls..." he said, getting right in Katara's face. She was practically ready to waterwhip him when another, more familiar voice, interrupted his tirade.

"That 'little girl' is one of the reasons you still have a city to protect, General Hessuk," said Arnook, who nodded toward Katara as he approached from behind Hessuk. "This is Katara of the Southern Watertribe, who was not only instrumental in defending our city when the Fire Nation attacked, but as a friend to the Avatar, also helped in ending the hundred years war. You will show her respect."

Hessuk looked back at her with a blank expression. Katara crossed her arms and smiled while suppressing the childish urge to stick out her tongue out at him. Given her experiences the last time she was here, she almost expected him to explode into some sort of chauvinistic rant. Instead he did something completely unexpected. Not only didn't Hessuk continue to act like a jerk, but he actually removed his helmet, dropped his spear to the ground and fell to one knee.

"Please accept my sincerest apologies, Katara of the Southern Tribe. I was unaware of to whom I was speaking."

"Uh... thanks?" she said, uncrossing her arms and accepting his apology, if a bit clumsily.

Hessuk grabbed his spear and stood up, keeping his helmet tucked under one arm. Arnook stopped next to him and gave a slight bow to Katara. The first thing that caught her eye, was how completely worn out he looked. It wasn't just physical either; she could see it in his eyes even though he was trying to hide it behind a shallow, tired smile. He was worried. Very worried. This was the same look she'd seen in him during the Fire Nations assault last year, and, given the soldiers training in earnest behind him, she suspected there was more going on than just the problems with the moon spirit.

Even Arnook's voice seemed exhausted. "Katara, it's good to see you, though I wish the circumstances were better. Is Aang here with you?"

"Yeah, we came as soon as it started . Aang went to the spirit oasis as soon as we arrived."

"Thank the spirits. Then maybe there's hope after all."

Hessuk stepped in.

"With all due respect, Sir, while it's good a sign that Avatar is here, our forces still need to remain on high alert. We still have no idea what kind of kind of forces this princess has managed to gather, when she's going to attack or how. We should..."

Katara interrupted, "What attack? Princess who? What are you talking about?"

With a bit of confusion, Arnook asked. "Do you not know about the Fire Nation princess and her apparent involvement in the waterbenders predicament?"

Katara felt the pit of her stomach fall. "You mean Azula? She's locked up in the Fire Nation somewhere how could she have anything to do with what's happening to my bending? And what 'attack' are you talking about?"

Whatever it was, Katara knew he had to be wrong. Azula? Was this all some kind of bad joke?

There was glance exchanged between Arnook and Hessuk, then Arnook looked to Katara with earnest bewilderment. "Isn't that why you and Aang are here? To help us fend of Princess Azula's impeding attack?"

"What? No! We came here because of all the weird stuff that's been happening to our bending. What does Azula have to do with any of this! Someone better start making some sense right now or so help me..."

The Ice around her feet had begun to crack and the snowflakes stopped motionless in the air around her. Just the thought that all of this could somehow be being caused by Azula of all people... No, that was insane. Completely insane. Arnook was wrong, he had to be.

Even with her diminished bending, the effects of her anger on the ice and snow around her was enough to make even a seasoned warrior like Hessuk back away a few steps. Arnook however, held his ground.

"Katara, I will explain everything you need me too, but please calm yourself." He asked without loosing his composure.

Katara took a deep breath and, once she calmed herself a bit her unintentional unconscious effects on the ice and snow around her ceased.

"Alright, I'm calm. Now what's all this nonsense about Azula?"

Hessuk came back to Arnooks side as the Chieftain of the Northern Watertribe told Katara what he knew.

"A few weeks ago, at the same time our waterbenders first felt the effects of... whatever it is happening to them, there was an attack on the institution holding the Fire Nation princess and in the confusion, she escaped with the man that attacked the facility."

Katara shook her head. Azula was free, and that certainly wasn't a good thing, but that still didn't mean she had anything to do with...

"How does Azula escaping on the same day..."

"Not just the same day." Hessuk spoke for the first time since apologizing to Katara, "We have benders at that facility..."

_That's right, Katara remembered. She'd actually made a request to Arnook for waterbenders to help watch over Hama (whom she also requested be moved there)._

"...and according to them, the attack on the both the hospital and the waterbenders happened at exact moment."

"Ok, but still, that's not much to go on. It could still just be a coincidence. It just doesn't make any sense that Azula found a way to affect our bending."

"Doesn't it?" Arnook asked. "It was the Fire Nation that first discovered our weakness and almost killed the Moon Spirit. Is it so difficult to imagine that they may have found other ways to disrupt that connection?"

Katara couldn't imagine how hard this must be for Arnook. He'd lost his daughter once, and now that the moon spirit seemed under attack once again... He was afraid, and he had every right to be, but that still didn't justify a crazy leap of logic like this. Though at the same time, as much as she wanted to convince Arnook that Azula couldn't have anything to do with this, she was growing just as desperate to convince herself.

"It's still an awful big stretch to tie Azula to all of this."

"That's not all." Hessuk said before turning an eye to Arnook who gave a slight nod of permission for Hessuk to continue.

"Normally, we'd consider this a Fire Nation problem, but considering her apparent involvement with the bending problem, we've been doing what we can to track of her, and what we've found doesn't look good. For the most part, she's kept herself well hidden, but she turned up in the Earth Kingdom city of Shenjing with the same person that helped her escape, then later that same man was seen assaulting someone at trading post just north of that. It seems that since fleeing the Fire Nation, she's been steadily moving north, directly toward the Northern Watertribe."

"But why would she..."

"Katara, are you aware of the political situation in the Fire Nation?" Arnook asked.

"What does that have to do with it?"

"Fire Lord Zuko enjoys some support from his people – mainly from the peasants within the Fire Nation itself. The nobles however, are a different story. With the war over, most of them lost a great deal of power and land, their support is wavering and some even openly oppose his rule. The same can be said for the colonies, and then there's an bigger problem; Renegade pockets of Fire Nation soldiers scattered all across the Earth Kingdom who still swear loyalty to the previous Fire Lord... and his daughter. Chances are she's already recruited at least a few of those groups."

She was finally starting to see it all, but it was Hessuk that fit the final pieces for her.

"If the stories about what this princess did in Ba Sing Se are even remotely true, and if she has found a way to shut down our benders, there's no telling what kind of damage she could do with even a small force at her disposal, and a victory against the Watertribe may be just what she needs to rally not only her father's forces scattered across the Earth Kingdom, but even those opposed to her brother's rule back in the Fire Nation."

"You can't..." Katara stopped herself. _What? Be serious?_ She wanted to call the whole thing crazy, a complete overreaction, but in all honestly, it seemed exactly like the kind of thing Azula would do. So even if it seemed like Arnook was grasping at straws, knowing what she knew about Azula... could she really blame him?

"Then there's what happened last night." As if Hessuk had to add any more. "Another attack on our benders at the same time that light in the sky appeared..."

"Wait, what light in the sky?" She got two blank looks in return.

"I'm a waterbender, I was out too. I didn't see anything, I don't know anything about this light you're talking about."

"But surely Aang or someone else in your groupn..." Arnook went silient. It seemed clear that he hadn't even considered that this was affecting the Avatar, as well.

"Aang got hit just as bad as me, Sokka was a little busy trying to save us from dying, and Toph is blind. So, can we just skip to the part where you tell me what you're talking about?"

Arnook closed his eyes and shook his head, he mumbled under his breath _...for this to be affecting the Avatar as well..._ before looking up and answering Katara.

"I didn't see it and neither did Hessuk, but from what's been reported by several soldiers on the wall who saw it, and unusual light appeared in the horizon at the same moment all the waterbenders in the city collapsed. Most of them described it like a volcanic eruption that continued endlessly into the sky until it disappeared into the clouds. Some even said they felt an ominous presence in that light. What's more, it's seems to have originated somewhere around the Earth Kingdom city of Yenrai, which is right in line with where we estimated the princess might go to next."

A chill, unrelated to the cold, ran over her body. Ok, so maybe Azula did have something to do with this. However, a nagging thought was still itching at the back of Katara mind. Weren't they looking for a fire spirit? If Azula did have something to do with this, then how...

"Arnook, you said Azula had help escaping, right? And she'd been traveling with that same person?"

"Yes, Katara, and I believe we suspect the same thing. It's another reason I'm glad you and Aang have arrived."

Arnook turned to Hessuk and asked him to return to the soldiers.

"Sir?"

"I wish to speak with Katara alone, Hessuk."

Hessuk snapped a Water Tribe salute to Arnook, bowed to Katara, and left.

With Hessuk gone, Arnook reached into one of the deep pockets of his parka and pulled out a scroll. A blue circle of wax, imprinted with Arnook's personal chieftain's symbol and that was used to keep the scroll sealed had since been peeled back. "I received this by hawk only a few days ago. The Fire Nation is concentrating all it's efforts on the princess, but I believe the man she's traveling with, the one who broke her out, and whose attack on the hospital with the assault on the waterbenders, is the real threat.

Arnook handed her the scroll. "Our tribesman at the hospital commissioned this from witness descriptions. This is the man who helped the princess escape, and I believe the one who's been somehow affecting the Moon Spirit. Stop him, and you take away her means to attack us.""

Katara started to unroll the scroll, but Arnook stopped her.

"There's something more I need to tell you."

When she met his eyes, they were pained and heavy with regret. She almost didn't want to hear what he had to say.

"In my precaution, I may have... overreacted."

"What do you mean?" His hesitancy made the pit of her stomach sink. "Arnook, what else it going on?"

- # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # -

Iroh and Makato were escorted into the Palace by half a dozen guards on either side. Once they reached the throne, Makato was instructed to stay outside, and Iroh was ordered to enter alone. Makato almost went to draw his sword before realizing he'd been made to leave it back at the tea shop, and then almost summoned a flame before a slight nod from Iroh called him off. His old General entered the throne room alone and the massive doors were pulled shut behind him.

Makato was instructed to sit, and he did so reluctantly. His leg bounced unconsciously as he waited. He didn't feel comfortable letting Iroh enter the throne room alone. The whole setup smelled like a trap, though he couldn't fathom why they were brought all the way here just for that . It still set his nerves on edge and he kept a watchful eye on the guards surrounding him.

The inside of the throne room was massive, as should be expected from the ruler of the largest city in the world, though Iroh was also equally intrigued by the lack of soldiers inside the room.

Other than himself, only two other men occupied the throne room. One was the Earth King, whom Iroh had met only once, during an impromptu audience alongside King Bumi in order to request that the role of the White Lotus in Ba Sing Se's liberation be kept a secret, which sort of went hand in hand with the whole ancient secret society thing. Iroh had made a similar attempt to keep his own identity hidden. As such, the Earth King was one of the few people in Ba Sing Se who knew who Iroh actually was (along with Jin, who figured it out after seeing a poster of the new Fire Lord and making her way to the Jasmine Dragon to ask Iroh about it.)

As for the other man, Iroh had never seen him face to face before, but suspected who it was: General How, leader of The Council of Five, a collection of the highest ranking generals in the Earth Kingdom. Iroh had faced off against most of thm at one time or another, including How's own forces.

How stood next to the throne, doing his best to look relaxed (or as relaxed as a military man was able.) Despite that, it was How's eyes that gave him away. He never took them off Iroh, never even blinked, like a hawk tracking prey.

Iroh had suspected as much when he had entered the throne room, but now we was certain of it; an attack was imminent. He altered his pace slightly. Slowing down a bit and walking in such a way as to give the floor a little tap with the hard sole of his sandals. When he found what he was listening for, he took only two more steps then stopped and bowed to the Earth King and General How.

How didn't immediately return the gesture. The General walked down the steps in front of the throne. Only once reaching level ground with Iroh did How give a slight nod in return.

Then it happened.

With a stomp, the ground in front of How tore apart, spitting out a large rock that How punched towards Iroh. It just missed, smashing into the column to his left and exploding into a spray of rocks, pebbles and dust. Instead of countering How's attack, Iroh spun just in time to catch another Earthbender bursting through the ground behind him. Rock in hand and already in the midst of his attack, he never stood a chance. Before the rock even had a chance to slip from his finger, Iroh's hand was already closed around his face, and with a yank, the old General pulled him out from his hole in the ground and slammed him to the floor.

Now for the other sneak attack.

In one motion, Iroh released his grip on the Earthbender's face, planted a foot on his chest to pin him down and pivoting on that same foot to face his final attacker.

A large man, holding a massive slab of stone and using the dust cloud cover from General How's "miss", came charging out from behind one of the massive pillars. A burst of flames from Iroh's fingertips rolled into the dust cloud and curled around the big man's face without actually touching him, but singing his beard. Panicked, he let go of the slab to swat at the flames crawling through his facial hair. The large slab crashed down on top of him, smashing him into the ground and cracked in two over his broad chest, knocking both the wind, and fight, completely out of him.

It all ended to the sound of vigorous clapping.

"That was brilliant! Absolutely spectacular!" The Earth King kept applauding as he bounded down the steps to stand beside General How. "See, I told you he was who he said he was," then, turning to Iroh, "I do apologize for all this, but my new adviser, General How, insisted on a test so he could be sure you were who you said you were. I told him it was unnecessary, but he insisted. Now, if you'll excuse me for just one moment, I have to go get Basco. I didn't want him getting scared by the commotion."

He went running off to a side room. How looked after him as he left.

"Unnecessary?" How whispered under his breath with thoughts of both Longs Feng's and Azula's deceptions playing on his mind. He shook his head and turned to Iroh.

"I do apologize for all this General Iroh, but..."

"I'm afraid you have me confused with someone else," Iroh interrupted as he stepped off the man he'd been standing on, reaching down to help him up. "I'm just the simple owner of a humble tea shop. Though, in my line of work, I find it's important to know how to deal with rowdy customers."

"No need to worry, Dragon of the West. Your identity will not go beyond the men in this room," How assured him.

Iroh finished pulling the smaller Earthbender up, helped pat the dust off him (including the sandal print on his chest,) and then General How dismissed the two (though the larger man needed some help getting up and oriented.) They bowed to How and made their way out of the throne room.

By this time, the Earth King was returning with his bear, Basco. Iroh had never seen a creature quite so strange. Just... a bear?

Now that everyone was back, Iroh wasted no time in getting down to business. "I assume you've called me here because of the situation with my niece, Princess Azula?"

"If only it were that simple," How said. "Though it seems your niece has become a catalyst to a much bigger problem. We've received reports that indicate the Northern Water Tribe has been calling on its allies in the northern Earth Kingdom provinces to lend support to a naval blockade around the Fire Nation. And with the Fire Nation being as currently vulnerable as it is, we fear this may grow into something far worse. A war of retribution."

- # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # -

Katara was rarely speechless, but it was hard to talk while ones jaw was on the ground.

"You... you can't be serious!"

"Katara, allow me to explain," Arnook begged.

"Explain what! The world's been through a hundred years of war, and now that it's over, you want to start another one! How could you even think of doing something like this!"

"Do you think this is what I want? My intentions were only to protect my people. A blockade around the Fire Nation was to ensure that the Princess couldn't garner any support from her homeland. Unfortunately, our forces are not large enough to enforce such a blockade so I made a request to our allies in the Earth Kingdom. My mistake was in not realizing the depth of resentment and hatred festering among our allies. Once I made the request, it was like throwing seal-turtle meat to a tiger-shark. Right now, the Fire Nation is vulnerable, and our allies were more than eager to organize against them. What started as a call for precaution and protection has now escalated to a full on call to arms. Please, Katara, listen to me. There's a reason I've been waiting for you and Aang to arrive as I knew you would."

He nodded his head to the rolled up parchment in Katara's hands.

"That is the only copy of that scroll. I didn't even want Hessuk to see it for fear that he'd send our warriors pouring into the Earth Kingdom to hunt them down, which right now, any act of aggression could only serve to make this situation worse than it already is. I was waiting for you and the Avatar because I believe he is our only hope. Aang may be the only one who can save us from ourselves!"

One of the officers called to Arnook. It looked like they were having some kind of meeting.

Arnook turned back to Katara.

"Go now, find Aang, gather your friends and I beg of you, put a stop to what this foolish old man started!"

- # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # -

"I see... and you think my niece is at the center of all this turmoil?"

Iroh stood silent, eyes fixed on a spot on the floor a few feet in front of him as he ran a hand over his beard. He should have expected this. Not what he'd just been told about Azula, but the anger toward the Fire Nation. The scars of war ran deep, and forgiveness didn't come easy. The world had only begun to heal, but the pain was still fresh and the situation with Azula, regardless of how implausible it may seem, was merely an excuse to strike back. Whether directly or not, it seemed his niece was at the crux of it all.

It would seem the balance of the world was once again in the hands of a Fire Nation Royal. Iroh sighed. It seemed Sozin's legacy wouldn't die without a fight.

"And what is it you want me to do about this?" Iroh asked Kui.

"I may not know what she's planning, but I am aware of just how capable and dangerous your niece is. As her uncle, as the Dragon of the West, and as the liberator of Ba Sing Se, you're the one person in my entire kingdom who seems most qualified in taking her down. I hate to ask this of you after everything you've done, but..."

Iroh raised a hand to stop him.

"If it saves time, I should probably tell you that I was already on my way to do that when your men stopped us and brought me here."

The Earth King and How exchanged a look.

"Oh," Kui popped up. "Well then. Carry on, I suppose."

How slapped a hand to his face.

Iroh and company received a royal escort to the nearest monorail.

- # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # -

"Aang, there's something that's been bothering me about this fire spirit. Something we need to discuss." Roku's spirit form hung just above the oasis.

"What is it Roku? Did you figure something out?" Aang asked his former self with a smidge of undisguised enthusiasm. Maybe he'd finally get some answers. Unfortunately, Roku just shook his head and ran a hand through his long white beard (though, in his spirit form, it was actually a light shade of transparent blue).

"I'm sorry Aang, but no, I have not. I only offer another question, the answer to which may be of vital importance."

Aang leaned back on his elbows. "Great, just what I needed. More questions."

Roku continued, "You see Aang, spirits are ephemeral things..."

"They're what?"

Roku paused. "They are transitory in nature and..."

The blank look on Aang's face stopped him again. Roku closed his eyes and ran a hand over his beard, then started again, "As you have seen on your travels, Aang, there are spirits able to hold themselves to the physical world indefinitely, such as the Koi circling in the oasis below me. What you must understand is that spirits like these are rare. In my lifetime, I'd never met a single one. Even powerful spirits like Hei-Bai can only maintain themselves in this world for a short time before returning to the spirit world. Aang, I believe that discovering how this spirit has anchored itself to this world may be the key to defeating it, and sending it back from where it came."

"Ok, so... How do I find out about that?"

"Unfortunately, Aang, despite being a spirit myself, I have no particular expertise on the subject. However, during my time as Avatar, whenever I needed advice about spirits I would speak with Avatar Bayarmaa. She was an Air Nomad like you, and quite the scholar on all things spiritual. Contact her, and she may be able to give you some answers."

Roku began to fade away when something occurred to Aang.

"Whoa, whoa! Hold on Roku. If this ' Bayarmaa' knows so much about the spirit world, why did I need Koh to find out about the Moon and Ocean spirits!"

Roku smiled and gave a little nod, "Your ability to communicate with your past lives is greatly dependent on your development as an Avatar. Only a fully realized Avatar can speak freely to their past lives, and at the time, you were simply unable. Oh, and one more thing Aang. If you're going to speak to Bayarmaa, you should be warned that she has a tendency to be... blunt."

Roku faded away in a swirl of blue mist. Aang sat, tracing his finger in a circle in the grass. _Yeah, but if that meant not having to meet with Koh, I sure would have given it my best try!_

Aang sat up and began to meditate.

After a moment, he could feel himself leave his body, though not. Rather, it was more like losing himself inside his own spirit. He could hear the murmur of a thousand voices humming at the edges of his own consciousness. He extended an invitation, which required little more effort than forming a thought, and upon feeling it answered, swam back through himself and opened his eyes to see a new spirit floating in front of him.

As Roku had said, she was an Airbender, though other than her hair, which was shaved back from her forehead in the traditional manner to more prominently display her arrow (the rest of her stark white hair was held up with a few simple hairpins,) nothing else about her appearance as an Air Nomad looked familiar. Her robes were plain and brown and the only orange was a sash tied around her waist. Even her arrow was different - a thin black outline instead of solid blue. Until now, the only place he'd seen an Airbender arrow like that was on the oldest of murals in the eastern air temple, where he'd first met Appa. He remembered thinking, at the time, that the artist was just being lazy, but apparently that's really how the arrows used to look.

He preferred the solid blue.

Despite her elderly appearance, her voice was more vibrant and authoritative then Aang had expected.

"Greetings, young Airbender. I am Avatar Bayarmaa."

"Hi, I'm..."

"I'm well aware of who you are and what you need of me, Avatar Aang, so let us not waste time with unnecessary pleasantries. You are looking for a spirit, and, from what you've uncovered, a very powerful one at that. While I know nothing of this spirit other than what you've already learned from Avatar Nam Yen, I do have an idea of where it is you can find it."

"That's great. Where is it then!"

"Not where, but who."

"Huh?"

"I will need to explain a few things before you can fully understand my conclusion. First of all, your previous incarnation was correct. Spirits capable of maintaining themselves in the living world are rare indeed. Those that have do so by binding themselves to Totems in this world. Wan Shi-Tong has his library and the Moon and Ocean spirits have bound themselves to this oasis."

She waved a hand over the Koi circling in the pond below her.

"So... I'm looking for a building or something? But you just..."

"Yes, young Avatar, and I am still in the middle of my explanation. Exercise your ears more and your mouth less and this will go more quickly."

"Uh... Ok," Aang slouched back. Blunt was right. Air Nomads must have been much stricter in her time.

"Of course, without a totem for which to draw spiritual energy through, the spirit you seek wouldn't have had time for such elaborate constructions given how quickly fleeting its time in this world would have been."

"Ok, hold on a second. What's a totem?"

"A focus for spiritual energies, such as the bear totems in Hei-Bei's forest. It's through these that a spirit is able to draw energy from the spirit world and remain in this one. Without one, a spirit would be lucky to remain here for a matter of minutes. So, in lieu of a totem, the spirit you seek would have had only one alternative, and a desperate one at that. Binding itself to the recently dead."

Aang almost jumped to his feet. "Dead? But... No one died when I fought Ozai. Not even anyone on the airships. Sure, there were plenty of injuries, mainly from Sokka smashing the fleet out of the sky, but no casualties. I even checked with Zuko! Are you sure?"

"It is the only possibility," Bayarmaa confidently assured him.

"Ok, but... why "recently dead", and how can you be so sure?"

"Let me ask you something. Are you aware of how it is the spirit water saved you after you were struck down in Ba Sing Se?"

It seemed like an unusual change of subject, but Aang figured she had her reasons.

"Uh, kind of... it's like, extra super strong healing water right?"

"Not Exactly. In the hands of a competent healer, any water could have sufficed to heal the physical damage, but the lightning didn't just hurt you physically, but damaged you spiritually as well. In a way, you were lucky. Had the physical damage been more severe, nothing could have saved you, but since the lightning only managed to separate you spirit from your body..."

_Only?_ Aang thought.

"...the spiritual energies contained within the waters from this oasis were able to draw your spirit back because your spirits connection to the physical world remained so strongly entwined to your body that, even after your physical body expires, it takes much longer for the spiritual energy to let go and bleed back to the spirit world. This discrepancy, between physical passing and spiritual passing, allowed the spirit water enough time to grab hold of those fleeting energies and pull them back, reviving you even after your body had given out."

Aang, felt as though the air around him had suddenly gotten heavier. So, it really had been that close, hadn't it? For a brief time, he really was... gone.

"Ok, but what does that have to do with where this spirit is and how's it's staying here?"

"It has everything to do with it, young Avatar. It is only in that window, just after physical death, but before the spirit has fully leeched away, that another spirit could bind itself to that body."

"Theoretically? You mean you don't actually know?"

"I only say theoretically, because I've never heard of such a thing happening before, and for good reason. However, just because it hasn't happened does not invalidate my theory. When I tell you that this would have been its only option, I know I am correct in that assumption."

"How can you be so sure? I thought you had actual answers and now you tell me you're just guessing!"

Bayarmaa's eyes went blank as she entered the Avatar state. A chill went down his spine and the air around him felt like it was... shaking. Her voice boomed and Aang felt it in the pit of his stomach.

"I spent a lifetime studying spirits. I spoke at length with any past life able to offer any knowledge on the subject, and in my later years I spent more time in the spirit world than I did in my own body. I made regular visits to the spirit library, as it had yet to be buried under the desert sands and its proprietor had yet to become bitter and angry at the world for the misuse of his knowledge. Wan Shi-Tong willingly shared his knowledge with me, and I read every book the library contained in regards to both spirits and the spirit world, and what questions those didn't answer, I would ask of the Knowledge Spirit himself. Some of our conversations lasted days, if not weeks. There was not a single Avatar before me with more knowledge about the spirits, and if you've come to me now, I will assume none since. So when I tell you my theories are sound, you will not insult a lifetime of hard earned knowledge by calling it a 'guess!' Am I clear on this, Young Airbender!"

"OK, ok. Sorry."

Her point made, Bayarmaa faded from the Avatar state and went back to sitting calmly in front of him as though nothing was amiss.

_ Wow, and I thought Kiyoshi was scary!_

"As I was saying, Avatar Aang, there is a reason this has never happened before, and I can only imagine what sort desperation would drive a spirit to such a thing."

"Why, is there something dangerous about it?"

"Not so much dangerous, as it would be foolhardy. Just as the spirit water did for you, the infusion of an outside source of spiritual energy, would only serve to draw back the bodies original spirit. And the thing you must understand about, is that a body is very particular to it's spirit. While it may accept the energies of another spirit as a means to draw back it's own, it would never accept the dominance of another spirit. In other words, it would be purposely trapping itself inside another being, and barring some kind or spiritual disruption, would remain that way indefinitely until such time as that body passed. At which point it would be pulled back to the spirit world anyway."

"So what would be the point? How could it be so afraid of returning to the spirit world that it would do something like that?"

"I'm afraid I don't know. However, more than anything and as I mentioned before, this seems an act of desperation. So much so that I can't imagine this spirit will go quietly when you do find it. I advise a great deal of caution, young Avatar."

"You also said something about a "spiritual disruption. What did you mean by that?"

"Anything capable of harming or damaging the spirit more than the body could, in theory, upset the balance and allow this fire spirit to become dominant. Given what you've learned from Nam Yen of this ancient spirit, I prey that doesn't happen."

_ That's an understatement! _

"Yeah, me too, but that sorta leaves one tiny little problem."

"What to do with it when you find it?" Bayarmaa answered.

Aang nodded.

Bayarmaa closed her eyes and gave it a few moments of thought. "Well, there is one sure solution that would easily return both spirits to the spirit world. Though I assume it's an option you won't take."

"No, I won't," Aang said firmly.

"Understand what you trying to do, Aang: disrupting the bond's between two spirits, while trying to anchor one to it's body and at the same time pushing the other back to the spirit world. I cannot guarantee you that such a thing is even possible."

"I don't care. I'll do everything in my power to do this without giving up a life."

"Very well. Then I will leave you with this. When you leave this place, take some spirit water with you. Your energy bending and the spirit water will be your strongest weapons against this creature."

"My energy bending?"

"As you know, bending is spiritual in nature, so the ability to remove bending _is_ the ability to manipulate the spirit. Beyond that, I know very little, but it is a start. As for the spirit water, it is not only a powerful tool to heal wounds of the spirit, but can also be used as powerful weapon against creatures from the spirit world. And against this "Kaji" it may prove a strong weapon indeed. That is all the wisdom I have to share with you Avatar Aang. Heed what I've told and may you find the solutions you seek."

Having nothing more to add, Bayarmaa faded and left Aang to ponder her words.

He was interrupted by a tiny tongue licking his cheek. Momo was propped with his front paws on Aang's leg, chattering away. He patted Momo on the head while the little lemur chattered away and looked at him with his head cocked sideways.

"Yeah, Momo, this doesn't make any sense to me either."

- # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # -

Katara was breathless. She'd been running through the streets and waterbending over canals for the last hour, and she was completely lost! As if today hadn't been bad enough! All she wanted to do was find Aang and tell him what was going on. This stupid business with Water Tribe and Azula and... Oh yeah!

Arnook's scroll.

She reached into the lining of her parka, pulled it out and unrolled it.

_ What the..._

Ok, that was obviously the wrong one. She immediately tucked it under her arm and went back to her parka to fish out the real scroll. But why did she have a picture of Nagohda anyway? Did she accidentally grab it back at Sesha's house? No, the picture she showed her was different than this one... weird.

Where is that stupid thing? She shifted the scroll to the other hand and patted down her parka, then looked in her outside pockets, then looked on the ground around her. That's when she noticed Arnook's wax seal on the back of the scroll in her hand.

_But that's..._

She flipped it back over, and was again looking at Nagohda's face.

She flipped it back over to make sure of the wax seal... yep, still there.

_But that meant. No, no, it couldn't be. __That didn't make any sense._

Nagohda was Azula's accomplice!

- # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # -

"Azula...? What's wrong?" Yu watched in utter confusion as she slowly backed away from him as though she was looking at a ghost.

Because, for all Azula knew, he was.

The numbers ran through her head. How many days did Yu say he'd been wandering around before coming to the hospital? How many days was it since he said the first time he remembered waking up in a burnt down forest? _That_ forest! How many days had they been traveling together? How many days had it been since Sozin's comet?

Despite being troubled, her mind still worked fast and she had it added up in moments. If he woke up in Woo-Long forest when he said he did, then it was burnt because of the attacking Fire Nation fleet. Her attack.

"Enough games! Who are you? What are you!"

He stood up and took a few tentative steps toward her with his hands out as though he were trying to show a scared animal he meant it no harm. "Azula, calm down. It's just me..."

"No! You're not, you're lying... DON'T COME NEAR ME!" She screamed. "You're just like them! Some figment of my imagination... No, no. You're different. All the others, they're... I know them... but you...you're not the same so what are you, some kind of spirit or ghost!

Yu didn't know what to say. This... this was weird. She was quickly becoming hysterical and he didn't have a clue how to react. She let out a burst of manic laughter then ran at him. He almost fell over backyard when she thrust a finger violently at his face.

"That's what this is, isn't it? You died in that forest and this is some kind of twisted revenge because you think it's my fault! This is some kind of punishment isn't it!

"Uhh..."

"You think I'm going to break down and beg forgiveness! Is that what you want! Well I'm not sorry! It was war, and I'm a princess! I don't have to answer to anyone!"

"Azula, stop please, It's me."

He grabbed her by the shoulders.

"LET GO OF ME!" She tried to rip herself away, but there was no hint of the fierce, well trained warrior in it. She was in complete panic mode. She just thrashed about like a scared animal. Yu held on tighter, for fear that she might actually hurt herself if he let go. That only made it worse, and nothing he said was making it better. Then she sucked in a breath and blew fire in his face. For a few seconds, his head was engulfed in swirling blue flames. When she finally stopped, he blinked the soot out his eyes and coughed out a puff of smoke.

Then he said something he immediately wished he hadn't, "You know that can't hurt me."

Her eyes narrowed, and in the next instant an explosion of pain erupted from between his legs. His hands limply slipped off her shoulders as his eyes rolled into the back of his head. He tried, for about one tenth of one second, to stay on his feet before making a very slow and deliberate collapse to the ground. And why did the pain keep getting worse? It seemed to swell and creep outward from his groin, as though that part of his body just wasn't enough to hold that much pain, so now it was bleeding into neighboring areas and sinking into his very soul.

Azula took a step or two away, in a bit of a daze herself, because he certainly felt solid for a ghost. There was a split second, just a moment of a moment, where she started to reach out a hand (she really hadn't meant to do that), before coming back to her senses and fleeing for the comfort of the cave.

Behind her, she could hear her father laughing.

She threw her hands over her ears and ran faster. It didn't do any good. When she got to the cave, she could still hear them, but now her father was berating her weakness. Her Other made a crude joke about Yu then laughed and her mother was simultaneously trying to sooth and scold her. Movement danced in the shadows. Forms stepped in and out of the light. She pressed her back against the cave wall and slid down it until she was hunched in a corner, her eyes shut tight and her hands clamped over her ears. To drown out the voices, she started humming.

- # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # -

"No offense, Fire Lord," one of Earthbenders from Yenrai addressed Zuko with barely hidden scorn, "But shouldn't we wait until morning to head into the mountains? It'll be dark soon and..."

A flame danced to life in the Fire Lord's palm. Following his lead, six more flames danced to life, one from each elite Firebender also accompanying him on this trek. Mai gave a little smile (Zuko did have his moments.)

Zuko looked over his men, and then eyed the other six Earthbenders coming with them.

"We have light. Now, let's go."


	39. Chapter 38: Emergence

As a slight side note, I realized that in the last chapter, I was spelling "Woo Long" (of Wulong forest) wrong. In this chapter, I correct it back to what it should be, Wulong.

Oh, and I apparently don't know the names of my own characters. I was spelling Nagohda "Naghoda" in the last chapter, but I like it better as Nagohda. Whatever, it's a made up name, so until M. Night Shamalyan tells me I'm prnouncing the names of characters I created incorrectly, I'm keeping it the second way cause I like it better. So it's Nagohda from now on.

**Chapter 38**

_Emergence_

Sokka and Toph found Aang as he exited the spirit Oasis. Toph was wrapped in the thickest parka he'd ever seen. In fact, if it wasn't for the lack of horns, he could almost mistake her for a tiny, four limbed sky bison, her feet wrapped in the thickest, wooliest boots she could force Sokka to buy.

"When do we leave! These stupid fluffy shoes make it impossible to see, and I'm freezing! Why would you live here on purpose?"

Sokka noticed the slight amusement on Aang's face.

"Yeah, not as funny when she's been like this the entire time."

"Hey, when you guys conned your way into my house, you got good food, good company, and a nice place to sleep..."

"We never got to sleep, you got kidnapped." Sokka mentioned as Toph kept talking.

"...I come to your home and you give me frostbite. How's that for a fair deal?"

"I live in the South pole. Not here."

"Eh, snow's snow."

Sokka just sighed, "So any luck with the spirit-y stuff?"

Aang ran a hand over his smooth scalp. "Yeah, well sort of. It's complicated."

"When is it not?" Sokka shrugged.

Toph gave a slight tilt of the head, as though she was hearing something they couldn't, then said, "Might want to wait a second. Here comes Katara," two seconds before Katara came running around the corner.

She stopped in the middle of them and, after resting her hands on her knees for a second to get her breath (she'd been running around lost in the city for a while now), popped up and announced.

"We've got a problem. A big one."

"Uh, yeah, Sis. That's kinda why we're here."

A blast of snow knocked Sokka on his butt.

"A different problem, walrus brain!"

Even though she was completely out of breath, she tried to spit everything out as fast as possible.

"Azula escaped and Arnook thinks she's planning an attack against the Northern Watertribe. Even the Earth Kingdom's getting involved. It's like everyone's just gone crazy, and that's not even the worst of it. She might even have something to do with what's happening to our water bending!"

She leaned over, hands on knees again, having to stop to take another breath before passing out.

"Woah woah woah!" Sokka was picking himself off the ground and pulling snow out of his jacket. "Now we've got Azula do deal with? Can't we just have one crisis at a time?"

Aang was now more confused than ever. What did Azula have to do with any of this? Had Bayarmaa been wrong about the whole thing. Great, just when he thought he was making progress, things now made less sense than ever.

"That's not even the weirdest part." Katara reached into her jacket, pulled out a scroll and held it in front of Aang. "Do you remember this guy?"

Aang raised an eyebrow. "Should I?"

"We trained with him last year. He's one of Pakku's students. His name's Nagohda, and he disappeared a few months ago. Long story. Anyway, he's also the pserons that helped Azula escape."

Aang gave her a weird look.

"I know. I don't get it myself. Nothing about this makes any sense, but I think... I think he might have something to do with this spirit we're looking for."

"Wait, that can't be right." Aang was holding his head like he was getting a headache. "I just got done talking to one of my past lives and she said that we're probably looking for a Fire Nation soldier."

Though that went absolutely nowhere in alleviating Katara's confusion about Nagohda and Azula, it did give her a bit of hope that maybe she'd been wrong about the whole fire spirit thing. Because the last thing she wanted was for Azula to have access to that kind of power, over her or anyone.

"So you found out where it is?" She asked hopefully.

Aang gave a sort of half shrug. "Well, kind of. She, my past life, told me that spirits can't stay in this world for very long if they don't have some kind of anchor, like the Spirit Oasis here. So, without something like that, the only thing it could have done is possess somebody that just died and it could use that instead."

"Ew, gruesome," Toph said.

"Ah, I get it," Sokka jumped in enthusiastically, "So that's why you think it's in some Fire Nation soldier! Good thinking, Aang."

"Uh, mind explaining it to me then?" Toph asked.

Katara remained silent, deep in her own thoughts. As soon as Aang had said what he did, a half-formed thought tickled at the back of Katara's brain, and she was trying to tease it out.

As Sokka explained it to Toph and confirmed with Aang, if the spirit didn't have much time, and Aang released it during his fight with the Fire Lord, and if it needed a dead guy, then it must have been some unlucky soldier from the air fleet.

"Wait," Sokka aimed the question at Aang. "I though you sais that Zuko said there weren't any casualties? Though... I guess if this Kaji thing was riding around in whoever, they really wouldn't be very dead anymore."

To which Sokka started walking around with his arms out, shambling and moaning.

Katara was still only half listing as she tried to grasp for a piece of the puzzle that was missing. It was there. She felt it, but it was like having the name of someone you know dance on the tip of your tongue without being able to say it. It was only when Sokka's words actually sunk in that it finally hit her.

She remembered Nagohda's last letter to his mother.

"Sokka!" she yelled suddenly enough to make him jump, "Do you have a map on you?"

He stopped tromping around like a walking corpse and gave her a stern look.

"I'm offended you even need to ask."

- # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # -

Yu had been lying on his back, staring up at the sky long enough that the stars were just starting to peak out through the fading dusk. It had taken this long just to be able to comfortably sit up, which was a significant improvement over wishing he had died last night so that he wouldn't have to be dealing with this.

He slowly got to his feet, making sure not to move too fast, and tried to walk off the rest of the pain, though he did so a bit more bow legged than usual. It took a few minutes, but after a while, he was able to safely walk around without having to hold certain parts to make sure they weren't rubbing against anything.

_ Man, these things are a liability._

Most of the pain finally faded, and he turned his attention back to the cave. He really didn't fancy going in there right now, but he was even less enthused about sleeping on the cold ground again. Maybe he could just sneak in, grab his pack and get out without incurring anymore wrath. As he took a step, a small twinge of pain from his nether regions seemed to protest the decision.

"I know guys, I'm scared too."

He made his way to the cave entrance and sort of shuffled his way in, looking around the whole time to make sure Azula wasn't lying in wait among the shadows somewhere. Turned out she wasn't that hard to find. Azula was hunkered down against the cave wall, and practically curled into a ball with her head buried in her arms and knees pulled to her chest. Her disheveled dark brown hair draped around her like a shredded, frayed curtain. Though, even if he hadn't seen her, he certainly would have heard her. She was crying.

He immediately forgot about looking for his pack.

"Are... you alright?"

A twinge of pain from his groin seemed to be asking, what do you mean is _she_ alright?

She didn't say anything, just pulled her knees tighter to herself and kept crying. He wasn't even sure if she heard him. He moved a little closer, shielding his injured area with his hands.

"Azula?"

She peeked up and just glared at him for a second. Her eyes were puffy and red, and both her face and sleeves were soaked. She didn't wipe her eyes, or try to shoo him away, she made no attempt to hide, or disguise it. For her to show that kind of vulnerability... It worried him.

"Me? Oh, don't worry; no need to apologize. I'm ok. Though my no longer possible future family might have a few things to say..."

She didn't move, didn't take her eyes of him, didn't tell him to shut up. She didn't even seem to get mad. He was hoping to incite _some_ kind of reaction, if for nothing more than that he didn't want to see her like... _this._ Then she buried her head back in her arms.

Though Yu couldn't know it, his voice wasn't the only one she was listening too. It was all around her now. A constant murmer of conflicting consultations, judgements and persuasions. She'd spent the better part of the last hour trying to drown them out or ignore them, until, finally she just... gave up. Whether that just applied to the voices, she hadn't decided yet.

With every fiber of his body screaming at him not too (some more than others) he sat down next to her. With no real acknowledgment that she cared either way, he scootched a bit closer. Not that he had any sort of plan, he was just doing what felt right. Stupid, but right. He reached over and gently put a hand on her shoulder. She jumped a little at his touch, and clenched up a bit, then, after a second, relaxed slightly. He said her name, and to his surprise, she reached up and wrapped her hand around his.

Then threw it off her shoulder with a quick jerk and curled back up.

Should have expected that.

Yu gave a sigh stood up. He took a step but was stopped when he felt something catch on the cuff of his pants. Expecting to have caught himself on a rock, he was shocked to look down and see Azula's hand clutching the leg of his pants. Her voice was completely devoid of the authority and pride he'd come to expect. She almost sounded scared.

"Don't leave. Everyone always leaves me."

He slid himself down the cave wall and sat back down where he was. This time, he kept his hands to himself, and quietly told her.

"I won't. I promise."

- # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # -

Sokka's pack was lying on the ground with a pile of rolled up maps discarded on top of it. Katara had the one she wanted in her hands, a map of the central eastern coast of the Earth Kingdom and was tracing a finger along its coast.

"Aang, where did you fight the Fire Lord?" Katara asked.

"Ughhhh..." Aang rubbed his head while looking over the map.

She turned to Sokka.

"Sokka, where did Aang fight the Fire Lord!"

"Right here," he pointed, then leaned in to read the small writing, "Yeah, that's it. Wulong forest."

Katara tried to picture the map in her head – the one Nagohda's mother, Sesha, had showed her. The one with all the little X's to mark where her son had been. She traced her finger along the coast, hoping to jog her memory of which cities had been X'd off. Did his last note mention the city he was in?

"Katara, what are you..." Sokka started to ask when Katara shushed him.

There! She found it. Her finger stopped and her heart sank when she realized where it was. Just south of Wulong Forest.

"Sokka, how many days do you think it would take to sail from here to here?" she pointed between the two spots.

"Why?"

"Just tell me!"

"A few days I guess. Katara what's gotten into you?"

A few days... Nogohda mentioned the comet in his letter, saying something about it passing by in a few days...

"Aang," she looked up, her voice heavy, "I know who it is."

- # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # -

"Fire Lord, over here!" one of his own soldiers called to him. Zuko ran over. He was pointing to something in the dirt. Illuminated by the flames they were carrying in their hands (the sun had set a while ago), were tracks in the dirt.

Another firebender, accompanying an earthbender, came walking back from where those tracks led.

"These can't be older than a few days at the most. They lead up to a small cave back there, then circle back here. There's signs of a recent campfire as well. I don't think we're alone up here."

"Good, maybe things will start to get interesting," Mai got a look from Zuko.

"This is no time for joking."

"Who said anything about joking? This entire trip's been so dull, I'm looking forward to some excitement."

"More tracks this way, Fire Lord!" one of the Earthbenders yelled back to them.

He followed his lead, and along the way, came across some familiar looking scorch marks splashed across the path. He wasn't sure why it looked familiar, but for a second he thought about the time Iroh was first showing him how to create lighting, and how it kept blowing up in his face.

He shook his head and proceeded to follow the Earthbender.

"Right here," he pointed to two sets of footprints in the dirt that vanished toward a thin rocky path along the cliff side. There were no footprints in the opposite direction. Whoever went that way, hadn't returned yet.

"Llooks promising," Mai said with a slight smile.

Zuko agreed.

- # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # -

Yu was leaning against the rocks lining the entrance of the cave, looking out at the stars twinkling above the valley and mountains spread out in front of him. He turned to look at Azula. She'd fallen asleep on his shoulder a little while ago. When he was sure she was out, he grabbed the bedding from his pack and moved her to it without waking her up.

After the events of the last two days, not to mention last few hours, he knew he couldn't wait any longer. No matter what it took, he was getting down to that city and getting her the help she needed. He didn't know why it had taken him this long to finally reach this decision... No, that wasn't true. He knew exactly why he'd waited so long.

He turned to look at her sleeping, and shook his head.

O_f all the girls in the world, why'd I have to fall for this one?_

That was it, really. Once he did this, once he turned her in, that would be it. That would be the last time he'd ever see her. That, and she'd hate him for it. Not that their relationship was exactly amicable _now_. Heck, most of the time she was downright hostile, but there were other times when he saw cracks. Here and there, sometimes so fleeting he couldn't even be sure if he was just imagining it, but it was there. A real human being, hiding just under the surface that she was doing her damnedest to hide.

Though he was begenning to wonder, who she was trying to hide it from. Him, or herself?

None of that mattered anymore. He couldn't be selfish about this. He couldn't wait around and hope that maybe it would all go away. Or that maybe, just maybe, more of that person would start to show themselves...

No, this had to stop. She was falling apart, and he needed to do the right thing.

She stirred, groaned a bit, then sat up. She looked around, almost like she didn't know where she was for a moment, then put a hand to her head.

"Feeling better?" Yu asked.

Her eyes stabbed into him like daggers.

Her Other laughed, "Aw, how cute. Your little friend's worried about you."

"Azula, he's just trying to help," her mother assured her.

"Only the weak rely on others. Are you weak, Azula?" her father admonished.

She rolled over on her side facing away from him and curled into a ball, placing her hands over her ears. Not that this did any good; she could still hear them.

"I'll take that as a no," he whispered to himself.

_OK, how do I do this? It's not like I can just throw her over my shoulder and walk into town, she'll pummel me, and I don't think there's any way I can trick her out of here. _ When it came down to it, he wasn't sure he had much more option than to just... tell her the truth.

He moved away from the cave wall and took a few steps toward her.

"Azula, please. We need to talk."

She heard him murmur something behind her, but couldn't hear it with her ears covered, something which wasn't lost on her. Though what that meant, if maybe he was real, or if it was just another trick to convince her he was, she wasn't sure.

She felt her mother's hand on her head, gently stroking her hair.

"You can't go the rest of your life like this. You have to start trusting someone sometime."

Her Other laughed arrogantly, "Brilliant idea, Mother. What better way to make sure his betrayal hurts that much more?" She kneeled down and whispered in Azula's ear.

"And he will turn on you. They all do. It's just a matter of time."

There was a hand on her shoulder – not her mothers. She flinched and spun around. Yu jumped and put his hands up.

"Woah! It's just me."

"What do you want?"

There was an awkward pause as he searched for what to say. In the meantime, Azula stood up and brushed herself off.

"Out with it!" she demanded as the strained silence continued.

"Azula... you need help."

"I'm fine!" she spat the words through gritted teeth.

"Is that why you kicked me in the balls because you thought I was a ghost?"

She hissed out an insult and turned away.

He put his hands on her shoulders. She tensed up for a second then reluctantly relaxed.

"Look, I'm just worried about you and..."

She twisted, throwing his hands off her shoulders, and slapped him.

"Stop it! Whatever your trying to do, whatever you want... Just... stop it!" she yelled, on the verge of tears. She couldn't trust him, wouldn't trust him. He was just another part of this fevered dream, or halucination, or... or whatever this was.

"Stop what!" he yelled back, fed up with the whole situation. He threw his hands up and looked arounf "Look at this! What are we even doing here? What do you think's actually going to happen? This whole whatever it is with your brother... Do you really think he's just gonna come wandering up that path and..."

He stopped mid-sentence when he suddenly felt something nearby. He turned and looked through the mouth of the cave and into the night.

_That can't be what I think it is. That's way too stupid of a coincidence._

"What is it?" Azula demanded as he instantly lamented his lack of subtlety.

"Oh, that uh... nothing."

"Someone's coming aren't they?" She ran to the cave entrance and looked out then turned back to him. "Tell me the truth."

The truth... yeah, that was the original plan wasn't it?

Fine then, if thats what it took.

Yu sighed, "Six earthbenders, Seven firebenders, one of them almost as strong as you. Now just listen to me for a..."

She was already off and running toward the cliff.

_Oh crap!_

- # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # -

It took a while, but Katara told them everything Sesha had told her – what she'd learned from Arnook, and finally what she suspected about Azula and Nagohda. "I couldn't figure out how it all worked together, granted, and some of it still doesn't make any sense."

"You mean like all the parts with Azula," Sokka added.

"Yeah, I still don't get that. But if the fire spirit is the cause of our bending problems, and Arnook thinks it's coming from Nagohda, and if we know Nagohda was in that forest..."

In her excitement, she'd almost forgotten what this revelation actually meant.

When her eyes met Aang's, it was obvious he realized it as well.

If Nagohda was camping in the forest when the attack rolled over, and this thing needed a freshly dead body to inhabit...

For a few seconds, there was nothing but silence as the gravity of what Katara was saying sunk in on everyone. It was Toph that finally broke it.

"So wait a second, let me get this straight. We finally find where this super dangerous big bad fire spirit thing that Baldy here let out of the spirit world, and it's hanging out with Azula. Geez, Twinkle-toes, when you screw up, you sure don't mess around."

Aang suddenly remembered what Yue had told him during their brief contact on the night of the full moon.

..._You have to find them. You have to separate them..._

Was she talking about Nagohda and Azula?

"Actually, this works out for us," Sokka got Aang's attention back.

"How does this work out?" Katara asked, bewildered.

"Two birds, one stone. If they're together, than all we have to do is find one of 'em, and we've got the other. We deal with Azula, Aang gets busy with the spirit magic, everything's solved in one fell swoop. Right?"

Katara rolled her eyes, "Yes, Sokka. Cause things always turn out that simple for us. Wait a minute! Aang, I can't believe I didn't think of this until now. Do you think that Nagohda being a waterbender has something to do with why this is affecting our bending?"

He thought about Yue again, then planted his staff in the snow with determination. "We won't know until we find them."

- # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # -

She ran to the edge of the cliff, stopping just short so she could walk to the edge and peek over without too much movement. Seven tiny little flames jostled along the path on the other side of the valley illuminating what she estimated was about a dozen figures. Even without the flames lighting their way, she could hear rock grind against rock as the earthbender they were apparently traveling with widened the path for their Royal guest.

Zuko!

She felt her father's hand come to rest on her shoulders. "This is it Azula. Make me proud. Prove yourself worthy of my forgiveness. Kill him."

"Azula I'm warning you," her mother pleaded with her, "If you do this, there's no turning back. Please, I beg you not to do this."

A single tear rolled down her cheek as she took a step back from the cliff, then she looked her mother in the eye, saying, "I have to."

She swung her arms wide, feeling the chi flow through them. Then Yu jumped in front of her. His heels teetered on the cliff, knocking a few pebbles loose that bounced down into the valley. His arms spread wide, his face white with fear.

"Stop! What are you doing?"

She looked him in the eyes. She felt another hand on her shoulder. Her Other whispered delightfully into her ear, "Told you. Another betrayal for Zuko's benefit. When will you ever learn?"

Another tear made its way down her cheek.

"Even you're trying to save him!"

"It's not him I'm..."

"Move or I swear I'll shoot right through you!"

Her motions were almost complete; the energy started to crackle at her fingertips. Yu's face went even paler, this was the first time he'd seen her generate lightning. Azula wondered if he was also lightning proof, and the look on Yu's face betrayed his own fear of the same thing.

He was terrified, but didn't budge.

"If you kill the Fire Lord they'll execute you!"

Her Other drew closer and whispered seductively in her ear, "Well then, I suppose that's one way to escape all this. No more voices, no more doubt, no more confusion... No more pain."

With tear-blurred vision, she looked into Yu's as she extended fingertips towards his chest...

"I don't care."

Time slowed as they locked eyes, and with steely determination as the bolt left her finger, Yu screamed back.

"I DO!"

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"One problem, hairless leader," Toph stopped them just as they were getting ready to head away from the oasis, "How do we know this thing isn't going to just jump ship when we find it?"

Katara paused, "You mean like, hop into someone else? Can it do that Aang?"

"Actually, Bayarmaa said that whoever it's in now, it's pretty much trapped there..."

"Pretty much?" Sokka sounded dubious.

"Well, she did say that the balance between the spirits… or something like that, could shift if there was some kind of... uh (what did she call it?) ...a 'spiritual disruption?'"

"What's a spirity whozits?" Toph asked

He wasn't completely sure. He tried to think back to the context of how Bayarmaa explained it, but could only think of one example.

"Sorta like when I got hit by lightning in Ba Sing Se... I guess," he shrugged his shoulders.

Sokka sighed in relief, "Well no problem then. I mean what are the chances this guy's gonna get struck by lightning?"

Toph slapped a hand to her face.

"You just never learn, do you?"

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The mountainside above Zuko's head exploded. An avalanche of rocks and boulders showered down on top of them with barely enough time for the earthbenders to defend by deforming the cliff and sending it to the valley below.

When the dust cleared, Zuko stood up from sheltering Mai and looked across the Valley.

_That was lightning... Azula!_

He yelled at the earthbenders to throw up barriers and pull them into the cliff. As they did, he ran ahead as fast as he could down the path. A thousand questions burned through his head, all the while he kept an eye out for another attack so he could redirect it if needed.

Was it really Azula?

What was she doing here?

...and most importantly...

He stole a quick glance back to where the lightning strike hit, easily fifty feet above the path, if not more.

How did she miss?

Mai went to chase after, but without a flame to guide her, following was impossible. She turned to the other firebenders, who still looked shaken and surprised after the attack.

"You two." She pointed with a knife. "Come on, I've got to stop my idiot boyfriend from getting himself killed."

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Yu was on his hands and knees, the stench of burnt flesh wafting up from his left shoulder were the bolt had seared across.

She couldn't do it. In that last moment she just couldn't do it. She couldn't kill Yu.

_I DO!_

When the lightning left her fingertips, she tried to pull her hand away, tried to avoid him, but she wasn't fast enough. The bolt missed his chest but skimmed over his left shoulder. Stray tendrils of energy reached out and bit into his shoulder, searing a spider web of electricity across his flesh and dropping him to his hands and knees.

He wasn't lightning proof after all.

Her hands shook as sh stood motionless and speechless over him. He reached up and grabbed his shoulder, moaned, then mumbled something: a single word she didn't make out.

She leaned down, reached out and asked, "What?"

The next thing she knew, Yu's hand was around her throat and he lifted her, one handed, into the air. He pulled her in close, and she found herself starring into the eyes of that same inhuman presence from the night before.

She felt its voice more than she heard it.

_** "HE SAID, 'RUN!' "**_


	40. Chapter 39: Lords of Fire

**Chapter 39**

Lords of Fire

Yu's eyes stared back at her, but he wasn't behind them. The air around her felt heavy and oppressive, and she was having trouble breathing, although that could also have had to do with the hand wrapped around her throat. After what felt like minutes trapped in a trance, she reached up and curled her fingers around his hand and tried desperately to peel it away. Her feet flailed wildly as he held her single handedly dangling in the air at arm's length. Violently clawing at his flesh, she felt her fingernails sink in and blood trickled over her fingers and down her hands. Though, for or all her strength and fight, she may as well have been trying to pry open the hand of a stone statue.

Yu, or what had recently been Yu, gave her efforts little more than bewildered looks. Even when she managed to swing up a leg and land a solid kick on the side of his head, he reacted with bemused curiosity at her actions despite the damage it should have been doing. It was like he was examining her actions from a distance instead of being directly assaulted by them. When it seemed to tire of its examinations of her futile actions, its hand clamped harder around her neck and shook her around a bit, almost is if to say, "Enough!"

The violent jostling almost caused Azula to black out and all the fight drained out of her. This seemed to be its intention, because once she stopped struggling, he pulled her in close and looked her over. He twisted her back and forth, staring into her eyes. The heat coming from its eyes were intense; the heat on her face was almost unbearable. She tried to pull away, but its grip was too strong. Its eyes shifted to the burns scorched across its shoulder, then back at Azula. With no movement of its lips or jaw, the sound of its voice simply rolled out of an open mouth, rattling her teeth and curling her toes. She could feel it in her chest and it stole the air from her lungs.

**"You have weakened my binding to this shell, but not enough. I remain tethered to this one's spirit, still trapped. So, I extend an offer: With that energy, strike this shell again, break my bonds. Separate us, and I promise you a peaceful death."**

Its grip tightened and the temperature in the air rose considerably. The hand around her neck was almost burning her skin.

**"Deny me, and I will make sure you live long enough to watch everything you know turn to ash before you die!"**

Everything I know turn to ash? Azula thought. Just like what I wanted to do to the Earth Kingdom? Somewhere in the distance, someone started laughing, low at first. It was all starting to make sense to her. Yu's arrival at the hospital, his powers. Catching on fire while not being able to burn. That made sense now. Especially after finding out her plan to burn down the Earth Kingdom may have killed him, except he wasn't dead. And only now, after she'd allowed herself to become... comfortable in his presence, had he changed into this. A creature made of rage and fire, threating to burn away everything she cared about if she wouldn't agree to kill him… again.

Was this the spirit's idea of justice? Punishment for her crimes? Had the Avatar done this to her? Did it really matter? After all, none of this real. The laughter in the distance built to a crescendo.

She looked past its burning eyes and saw her father standing behind the thing that had once been Yu. Large and imposing, he glared down at her in disgust and disappointment. Her mother shook her head and turned, pulling a hood up over her head and walking away. Mai and Ty Lee were there as well. The acrobat flashed her a big smile then wrapped an arm around Mai's, who gave Azula nothing but a deadpan look, and the two of them sunk off the cliff, all of them leaving her to her own fate all over again.

The laughter faded from a manic cackle to a whimpering, pathetic sob. Night swallowed everything around her, save for two pinpoints of yellow light burning in front of her. Yu's eyes spilled fire and stared back across the dark expanse growing between them as she felt herself slip away into an all-encompassing darkness. It was like falling down long dark well, except she wasn't afraid. Nothing in the world made sense anymore, so she gladly embraced oblivion.

Confusion crept into the Kaji's borrowed face as the mortal held in its grip began acting strangely. Tears poured from its sight holes while at the same time it laughed hysterically. Its understanding of human interactions was limited to what it had observed through this shell over the last two months, but it could tell that this reaction seemed... incorrect.

As the mortal's laughter turned to sobs and then whimpers and finally nothing, Kaji pulled the girl close and peered into her eyes. Searching out her shell's spirit, it felt nothing. It held her away and examined the body. Its blood still pumped; the body was warm, air still filling its lungs. The shell was alive, but the presence within it had run away. Smoke spilled out from between clenched teeth as Kaji growled and dropped her to the ground.

**"Broken!" **the angered spirit hissed. No matter, there were more coming.

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"It's over Azula! Give up and..."

Zuko stopped mid-sentence. He wasn't entirely sure what would be waiting for him when he crested the hill, but what he found was the last thing he expected: Azula, sitting on her knees, arms dangling loosely at her sides, and head bowed to a half-naked man with glowing eyes standing in front of her.

What?

He looked up at Zuko and Zuko was immediately reminded of Aang's glowing eyes in the Avatar state, although, instead of blue, his eyes where pulsing red and yellow, like the blazing light of an intense fire. For a moment, Zuko was stunned into silence. He had no idea who or what this was, but he shook it off and tried to assert himself.

"I don't know who you are, but surrender now or I won't go easy on you."

The stranger lifted his hand and pointed an open palm at Zuko. Zuko prepared to counter, but wasn't at all prepared for what was about to happen.

A wall of fire, rolling forth like a tidal wave, spilled from the stranger's hand. It caught Zuko off guard. Firebending like this should only be possible during Sozin's Comet. Luckily, the reality of the situation snapped him out of it and he quickly responded. Running towards the flames, he split them around himself and charged through. A fireball swirled to life in his own hands as he prepared to counterattack while emerging from the flames, but when he broke through, his attacker was no longer there. Azula was still sitting on the ground in the same spot, unmoving. He looked left and right, trying to find him, but he was gone.

He heard the others running up the path behind him, and though he didn't want to take his eyes off Azula, he couldn't help it when he heard someone yell "Up there!"

He turned to see everyone looking and pointing into the sky. When he looked up too, he found where his opponent had gone. A human form a hundred feet up stood on nothing put a small pillar of flame, but before the impossibilities of such a feat outside the influence of Sozin's comet could fully settle in, the stranger came crashing back to earth and hit the ground like a bomb.

A split second before he hit, the three earthbenders that held back with Mai pulled up a massive wall across the mouth of the path just in time to protect themselves and the two firebenders escorting Mai.

Fire erupted in all directions, rolling outward from the impact and spilling over every inch of ground, consuming everything in its path. Zuko whipped up a sphere of flame around himself as a shield. Outside of it he thought he heard screams. He cursed, then looked behind him, fully expecting an attack from Azula, but almost as shocking as what had just happened was her reaction to it, which was nothing. Azula was still sitting there, in the same position, giving no reaction at all to what was happening around her. In fact, it was only by virtue of Zuko being directly between them and his shield splitting the attack that she hadn't been burned alive.

Others hadn't been so lucky.

Three soldiers, charred so badly it was impossible to tell if they were Zuko's or from Yenrai, lay smoldering on the ground in front of Kaji. An earthbender, whose rock wall hadn't been thick enough to stop the brunt of the attack, was smashed halfway into the mountainside. He was alive, but only barely. Another firebender had been sent tumbling and bouncing into the cave. He was also alive, but with probably more broken bones than he had whole. Another earthbender, this one by the cliff side and successful in blocking the attack with a wall of stone, was blown off the cliff and into the valley below when the Kaji simply pointed at the stone wall he was hiding behind, which glowed a deep orange and then exploded. Another firebender, who was just outside the wall thrown up to protect Mai and the remaining benders, had been dazed and dizzied after trying something similar to Zuko's defense, but was blown off his feet and slammed into the wall behind.

The flames cleared just in time for Zuko to look past three charred bodies and see the stranger pick up one of his firebenders by the face, and in a flash of light, watch a few pieces of smoldering armor fall and clang to the ground. Then he turned his attention to the wall. As the stranger raised its palm, Zuko screamed and shot a blast of fire. It hit the stranger's back and washed over him like water. Zuko was stunned for a moment. How had he firebent the attack without even moving, much less facing it? It didn't matter, and Zuko launched more attacks, doing everything he could to keep this man away from Mai and the rest of the soldiers. Any worry about Azula attacking from behind was washed away in the fury of his attacks. Blast after blast and Zuko watched in horror as the stranger walked straight into them. What kind of firebending this was, Zuko didn't know. It was almost like he was fireproof, but that was insane! Whoever this was, he couldn't keep it up forever.

Closer and closer still, the stranger kept pushing through the flames. Finally, Zuko unleashed everything he had. Fire spilled across the ground and filled the air. The force of Zuko's onslaught even starting pushing his own feet back, forcing him to slide across the rock and back towards Azula. Despite the ferocity, something was still pushing through the flames against him. At first he thought it a counterattack, another blast of fire cresting against his own, pushing closer and closer, and then a hand burst through the fire and fingers clamped like a steel vice around his neck.

Zuko was yanked off his feet, thrown up over the stranger's head and slammed back onto the rocky ground. An image of the soldier being incinerated flashed through Zuko mind, and despite the pain, or maybe because of it, his survival instinct kicked in full bore. His arms and legs struck at every vital spot they could. A knee to the back of the elbow. A kick to the throat. His other foot found a kidney and then crashed into a knee. He did everything he could to try and break its grip. Every strike connected, every hit solid, and none of it did a bit of good.

He was ripped off the ground and held in the air at arms-length. In that moment, he finally took notice of its eyes again. They weren't just glowing yellow now, like some twisted, perverted imitation of the avatar; they were actually one fire. Flames licked and spilled from its eye sockets and the presence behind them was unmistakable. Whoever this was, it wasn't human.

Its skin even seemed to be growing darker and cracking, something glowing and red seeped underneath, like fissures in a flowing field of magma. The hand around his neck began to burn and Zuko wondered if this was it. In an odd moment of lucidity as he watched his life flash before his eyes, he quickly tried to remember who was the Fire Lord with the shortest reign, and wondered if he was about to take that honor.

Instead, the hand loosened slightly, just enough so Zuko could breathe again, barely. It looked at Zuko curiously, then turned to Azula, and back to Zuko. When it spoke, its mouth movements didn't seem to match its words, and Zuko was certain he wasn't hearing its voice in his ears, but rather in his head.

**"You and that one - your spirits are connected, your strength similar. You are the shell that calls itself 'Fire Lord'?"**

"What of it?" Zuko croaked out, still trying to peel its hand from his throat.

It held its other hand up, and a flame erupted to life, swirling several meters into the sky in a vortex of fire. Zuko tried to pull away but couldn't.

**"Presumptuous. Drawing on ****the decayed retirement****s of a sacrifice and calling that ****power your own! You are no Lord of Fire!"**

Panic took him again, kicking and clawing, not that it did any good. The creature jostled him by the neck in its outstretched hand, twisting and throwing him about as though he were a doll stuffed with hay. For a moment, Zuko blacked out, but quickly came to. The flame extinguished at the same time its grip again loosened around his neck.

Again, it began glancing between him and Azula.

** "Can you create the energy**** as it does?"**

_What?_ Zuko thought. _Energy? Did it mean lightning?__ Why did it need to k__now that?_ Not that it mattered. Even if he could, he no intention of doing this thing's biding. Though, until he thought of some way out of this, it might be best to stall.

"Why?"

It growled in frustration, and then answered, although what it said made little sense to Zuko.

**"Though I now control this shell, it remains a cage."** It tilted its head toward the moon. **"One that restricts me as long as I am bound to it." **Then it shifted its attention back to Zuko.

** "For my purposes, I need to create something more suited to myself. Free me and I will show you mercy."**

"Not even if I could." Zuko wrapped both hands around its wrist, and threw a kick to the side of its head with all the force he could muster.

He may as well have been kicking a boulder for all the good it did him. The thing didn't even stagger.

Its fingers dug into his neck, becoming increasingly hotter with the pressure. Black closed in around Zuko as he felt the skin on his neck start to burn. He tried to struggle, but he didn't have the strength left. Then something hit its arm. In his blurred vision, he saw what looked like four knives appear in its forearm. Then two more. Then three. Zuko fell to the ground, gasping for air and scrambling away.

The creature stood, twisting its arm and looking at the knives embedded in it. No pain registered on its face. Instead, it seemed more annoyed and frustrated. Its fingers trembled as it tried to unsuccessfully close and open its hand. When it couldn't, it growled in frustration and glared at Zuko.

** "Why won't this work!"** it demanded.

Zuko was momentarily dumbfounded. _You have nine knives in your forearm and you can't figure out why your hand doesn't work?_ This thing may be strong, but it wasn't terribly smart.

Smoke and fire poured from its mouth as it growled at Zuko one last time. **"There are other ways to unbind myself. Your obstinacy only delays the inevitable. Either way, this world will covered in flames."**

An explosion of flame sent it flying into the air and Zuko watched helplessly as it shot away into the night sky.

He jumped when a pair of hands grabbed his shoulders. It was Mai. The remaining benders were checking their comrades… the ones that were still alive, that is. Mai leaned down and helped him off the ground, brushing off dirt and checking to make sure he wasn't bleeding or otherwise injured. When he seemed ok (relatively speaking) she sighed and put her hands on his shoulder, then shook her head.

"So, when I wasn't around, whose job was it to save you from being strangled?" she asked.

Zuko just shook his head and rubbed his throat. It was hurt and the skin was tender, but not burned as bad as he feared.

"Who was that anyway?" Mai asked, looking up to the sky in the direction it had shot off. "He took my knives."

Zuko had no idea, but now his attention was on something else: Azula. She hadn't moved, still sitting on her knees with her back to him, arms draped at her sides and motionless. He took a few steps toward her when Mai stopped him with hand on his shoulder. She flashed a handful of dagger, one between each finger, and gave him a nod. Zuko nodded back, wondering not for the first time where she kept all of those.

Despite what had just happened, he wasn't taking any chances. He still had no idea what was going on, but with Azula, he wasn't willing to take any chances. For all he knew, this could still be all part of an elaborate plan. He called her name, but she sat listless and motionless, like a broken marionette.

Zuko edged a bit closer, Mai still ready with her knives and the remaining benders keeping alert, too. He circled around to get a look at her face as well as to make sure she was surrounded. He was shocked at how she looked. Her skin and clothes were filthy, her hair a matted mess. He remembered what he and his uncle had gone through when they'd become fugitives. It had been rough, but they'd never gotten to a state like this. The dirty clothes and lack of grooming wasn't what caught his attention the most. It was her eyes; they were completely lifeless. If it wasn't for her shallow breathing, he might have mistaken them for the eyes of a corpse. Azula knew how to act; there was no doubt of that. As master manipulator and remorseless liar, even he'd fallen for her tricks more times than he'd care to admit. Though, what he was seeing in his sister's eyes, or more to the point, what he wasn't seeing, was something he doubted even she could fake.

He felt something stir in the pit of his stomach. What had the doctor said back at the hospital? Something about retreating into her own mind? There was no love lost between Zuko and his sister. Only a few months back they'd even been prepared and willing to kill each other. He'd even come here prepared to go that far again if the situation called for it. But this? This wasn't how he'd wanted this to end.

He relaxed his stance and approached her slowly.

"Zuko!" Mai said, raising her knives and preparing. He held up a hand and shook his head, then kneeled down in front of his sister and spoke her name again, softer this time, almost pleading. Again, getting nothing in return, he held up a small flame in his hand and held it in front of her face. Her pupils didn't even dilate.

He sighed and stood up. Well, that's that. Not exactly the climactic reunion he'd expected, but a lot happened tonight that he hadn't been prepared for. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, his words were cut off by a boom in the distance. Bright flashes of light, accompanied by more explosions, splashed across the clouds and danced across the landscape back toward Yenrai. In light of everything else, it took Zuko and most everyone else at the scene a moment or two to figure out what was happening.

"It's attacking the City!"

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"What is that?" Ty Lee asked, sitting in the saddle behind Suki on the back of the Eel hound. Because the animal was still at a full run, Ty Lee's outstretched arm bounced up and down, so Suki only had a vague idea of the direction in which she was pointing. On top of that, the plains east of Yenrai were scattered with the debris of torn apart and rusted out Fire Nation tanks, obscuring her view of the city. However, squinting through the darkness, Suki soon saw what she thought Ty Lee was pointing at. She could make out a vaguely familiar silhouette lit up by the torchlight coming from the city.

"Is that an airship?" Suki asked, suddenly feeling a bit tenser. What was that doing here?

"No, not that," Ty Lee said dismissively, apparently not as concerned about the airship as Suki was, "That!"

She was pointing to the sky above the airship. Suki hadn't noticed it at first because the flickering yellow light sort of blended into the stars behind it. Once it started moving, it became plainly obvious. Now it was Suki's turn.

"What _is_ that?" she asked Ty Lee. There was something oddly familiar about it. She'd seen something like this before but couldn't immediately place it. Then she remembered. When Sokka, Toph and her were doing everything they could to take down the air fleet, she caught a few fleeting glimpses of Aang's battle with the Fire Lord. Watching the little plume of flame zip around in the sky above Yenrai reminded her very much of how Ozai was propelling himself through the air. That couldn't be good.

Almost as soon as she finished the thought it happened. What looked like several little shooting stars separated from the plume and fell down toward the city. The airship was the first thing to get hit, and then several more explosions flashed from within the city. In a matter of seconds, Yenrai was in flames.


	41. Chapter 40: Injured Spirits

**Chapter 40**

_Injured Spirits_

Aang lingered a moment, giving the door to the spirit oasis one last look before leaving to catch up with the group. As he turned away, he heard a voice calling to him, weak enough that at first he wasn't even sure he heard it. Ahead of him, he saw the others pause as well.

"Are you guys hearing that or is it just me?" Toph twisted a finger in her ear.

Katara looked at Sokka. "Was that...?"

Sokka gave his sister a quick glance, and then turned toward the oasis door. Aang was right there with him, pulling it open and running inside, the others following close on their heels, except for Katara. A sensation, or rather the lack of it, stopped her in her tracks. It wasn't like before. She didn't lose consciousness or feel any sort of attack; it just suddenly felt like part of her was missing. She waved her hands over the snow, but nothing happened. Panicked, she her pulled her gloves off and tried again. Still nothing. Her waterbending was gone.

When the others entered the oasis, it wasn't just a disembodied voice waiting for them. With one exception, they could all see the speaker as plain as day. Even Toph registered an odd feeling in the air. Nothing disturbing, just a subtle change in pressure and sound the others wouldn't have noticed, but certainly unlike anything she was used to.

"Someone want to fill me in on what we're all looking at?" she asked the others.

"Yue," Sokka said, with a palpable sadness in his voice.

"Hello, Sokka. It's good to see you again," she said, forcing a weak smile as though too tired to manage more.

"Yue?" Even without any special sensitivity to the spirit world, Sokka could tell something wasn't right.

"Don't worry Sokka. Yes, I'm... worn out, but I'll be fine. You all have far more to worry about than me." It was true, Aang could feel it. She was exhausted. Appearing before them like this was taking a great deal of concentration and strength.

Katara came walking in last, her gloves lying back in the snow. She pushed past Aang and Sokka and looked up from her hands at the spirit floating above the oasis in front of her. "Yue? But, if you're here, if you're safe... what happened to my waterbending?"

With the excitement of Yue's return, it was the first time Aang noticed it as well. And just like Katara, he found that he couldn't waterbend either. Alarmed, he franticly asked Yue what was wrong, how could he help, and if she was in any danger. Sokka was equally insistent.

Yue looked at all of them and raised her hands, as if trying to calm panicking children. "All of you, please, I don't know how long I can hold myself here. I have much to tell you, and there's very little time..."

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With just about everyone but his engineers off the ship, Guo was enjoying some downtime the only way he knew how: by performing basic maintenance around the airship. He was jammed behind one of the six pressure furnaces, mumbling to himself (he didn't let the fact that there was no one around to talk to stop him) about how much he wanted to give these things a test, when the world erupted in flames.

The first explosion felt like it ripped the airship in half and, despite the fact that they were sitting on the ground, Guo felt the entire craft roll ten degrees like it were banking in the air. At first, he thought that maybe one of the pressure furnaces had blown, which made no sense since they'd have to be lit first for that to happen. Once he pulled his bulk from out behind the furnace he'd been working on, the first thing he noticed was the dancing firelight pouring in through the windows, followed by more explosions. Whatever had rocked the ship had come from outside of it.

Guo scrambled to his feet and began yelling at the top of his lungs for all men to assemble on deck. Men scrambled wildly, appearing out of nooks behind boilers and crevices behind steam pipes. Some were actually working, while others were rudely awakened from hidden napping spots. Running down the ships main corridor, surprisingly quickly for a man his size, Gou barked orders left and right only to be interrupted by the Captain, who issued a counter order to abandon ship as he came stumbling from the pilot house. There was a moment when the men on the ship weren't sure who to listen to. In that moment, Gou put a meaty hand on each of the captain's shoulders, kicked open a hatch, and threw him off the ship, slamming the hatch closed behind him. No one else questioned him.

If the Fire Lord wanted to court martial him for it, then so be it. As far as Gou was concerned, this ship wasn't something just handed to him because he was an officer with a noble's pedigree. He'd pounded the rivets, forged the metal, ground the gears, cut the glass, even hammered the planks. He and his crew gave birth to this ship with their own hands. This was his ship!

It. Wasn't. Going. Down!

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Of the twelve men he'd come with, not counting Mai and himself, the only seven survived. Two of which were severely injured. An earthbender they coulnd't wake up, and a firebender with multiple broken bones. Those that remained standing, two firebenders and three earthbenders, now gathered around Azula at the cliff side. Heavy shackles adorned Azula's wrists and ankles. No resistance was offered when they were put on, and Zuko doubted that she'd be much of a problem anyway in her current state. Given the current situation, she was the least of his worries, but he didn't want her to become a loose end.

Once she was secured and the survivors were gathered (they'd have to come back for the bodies later), the remaining three earthbenders worked in unison on the large slab of rock underneath them all, tearing it off the cliff side and sending it, and everyone on it, careening down into the valley and rumbling back toward Yenrai as fast as they could move it.

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Suki grabbed the Eel hound's reigns and charged toward Yenrai even as the speck above the city kept pouring fire from the sky. Then, although it seemed like an eternity to Suki and Ty Lee, after only a few seconds, the thing in the sky stopped and shot off toward the south. Ty Lee watched it disappear into the night, but Suki kept her eyes trained on the city. They came upon the burning airship but Suki didn't stop. Soldiers were trained for this kind of thing. It was the citizens she was worried about.

Both Suki and Ty Lee were off the back of the Eel-hound before it even came to a stop. Within seconds Suki was already taking charge, directing panicked hordes of citizens to safety and organizing bucket brigades to douse what fires they could. Ty Lee bounded off awnings, back flipped from an open second story window and disappeared through a third. Then, just before a burning roof collapsed, she reappeared with two crying children in her arms and flipped back down to street level. She was already back to bouncing and bounding between buildings before the parents could thank her.

Thankfully, with most of the buildings in Yenrai being made of stone, the fires couldn't spread easily and were being quickly dealt with. However, the initial attack still injured many, with more than a few casualties to deal with, and while the physical fires in Yenrai were being quickly put out, the emotional ones were just starting to blaze. Rumors were flying before Suki and Ty Lee had even made it into the city, and what they were hearing wasn't good. From what Suki could gather, Zuko had apparently arrived earlier that day (which explained the airship), and now most of the confused, frightened and angry citizens were throwing accusations back and forth.

"I knew the Fire Nation couldn't be trusted!"

"They'll pay for this!"

The crowd was just beginning to whip itself into an anti-Fire Nation fury, when a large slab of rock came grinding down the street, depositing the Fire Lord on the middle of it all. An uneasy hush settled over the crowd, as if everyone was waiting for someone to start yelling or throw the first stone. Zuko was already ordering his men and the earthbenders who were with him to help were they could, completely unaware of the powder keg he'd just stepped into. Ty Lee was there before Suki, bounding over the crowd and flipping onto the slab. Her arms were around Mai before Mai even seemed to realize who it was.

"Ty Lee?" Zuko asked, confused, "What are you doing here?"

She was about to answer when the huge smile dropped from her face. She had just noticed who was shackled on her knees behind Zuko. It was Azula's eyes Ty Lee noticed first, hollow and lifeless, like the eyes of a broken circus animal, past its prime and just sitting in its cage waiting for the inevitable.

"What did you do to her! What did you do to Azula!" she screamed at Zuko.

"Ty Lee, Zuko didn't do this, this is how..." Mai tried to explain but was cut off by the crowd.

"They did this! This is their fault!" someone yelled.

The crowd erupted. People began screaming, throwing accusations and pointing fingers. Zuko stepped down from the slab and tried explain, but they wouldn't have it.

"This wasn't us, we came here to help. This was..." Zuko tried, but was drowned out. A man broke away from the crowd, a rock in his hand so large he could only be a bender. He cocked his arm and prepared to throw it at the Fire Lord's head when one of Zuko's soldiers jumped down and ran at him, flames trailing from his finger. The soldier was acting on instinct, protecting the Fire Lord as he'd been trained for years to do, with no thoughts to the catastrophic consequences his actions would have. He was about to set off the powder keg.

Zuko's commands to stop were swallowed in the noise of the angry crowd. Then, as the two closed upon one another, a green blur landed between them. A flurry of quick punches and jabs, and the flames went out and rock hit the ground with a thump, followed by two more thumps as the men hit the ground themselves.

"Stop it!" Ty Lee screamed loud enough that even the crowd quieted to a grumbling murmur. Zuko was shocked himself. Sure, he'd seen Ty Lee upset before, even angry, but this something different. She reached down and picked up a fist sized rock.

"Here," she said, tossing it to someone in the crowd. Zuko was about to run out to her when a hand on his should her stopped him. Mai just looked him in the eyes and shook her head. He wasn't sure what was going on, but if Mai had faith in Ty Lee, then so should he. He continued to watch in the same stunned silence as the rest of the crowd. Her normally mousy voice, now seething with frustration and anger, commanded the attention of the crowd.

"I guess enough people haven't been hurt tonight, have they? So fine, you wanna hurt someone so badly? Then go right ahead and throw it at me! I won't even move. You can just go right ahead and bounce it right off my skull if that'll make you happy!"

No one in the crowd knew what to say or do.

"Come on, do it already! Pick up your rocks and hit me if you think causing more pain and death will make things better." She leaned down and grabbed a few more rocks, tossing them to the crowd. She was holding back tears. When the crowd did nothing but exchange confused murmurs, she screamed at them again. "Is it the uniform? Because you think I'm Earth Kingdom. I'm not! I'm just as much Fire Nation as they are, so start with me!"

The man she'd thrown the rock to stood dumbfounded with his mouth half open, looking at her, then down to the rock in his hand. Half the crowd's eyes were on him, half on Ty Lee. Zuko tensed. He felt like a coward watching Ty Lee ask for the brunt of their anger. It should be him, and it took everything in him not to break Mai's trust in both of them.

Ty Lee fought to hold back tears and her voice cracked slightly as she spoke again. "Your town's on fire, your friends are hurt and all you want to do is attack the people that are here to help you. So go ahead, if you think hurting me will save them. If you think that causing more pain will make yours go away, then start with me."

She finished quietly, but not a single voice rose from the crowd to challenge hers, and the pain in her voice seemed to put out their anger like water on a fire. Tears streaked white makeup down her face as she looked over the crowd, expecting a rock that didn't come. The soft thud of rocks hitting the ground, thump, thump, thump, played like a disjointed melody for a few moments as everyone let them fall from their hands. A murmur in the crowd signaled a lull in the anger, and at that point, authorities finally had the calm they could take advantage of. Dispersing the crowd, tending to the injured and gathering volunteers to handle the remaining fires, the International incident in Yenrai was put to rest before it could start.

Zuko, Suki and Mai ran to Ty Lee.

"Ty Lee, that was..." Zuko went to put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't talk to me right now!" she said slapping his hand away and walking past him.

"What was...?" Zuko asked, looking to both Mai and Suki.

Mai knew. She knew Ty Lee better than most anyone. She was also aware of the affection Ty Lee had for Azula. It was nothing romantic, at least she didn't think so, but ever since they were young Ty Lee had always admired Azula for her more positive traits: confidence, intelligence and determination. Because of that, and despite some of Azula's less desirable qualities, she'd always put Azula on a pedestal, seeing her as something to strive for. Mai looked back to the rock slab were Azula was still sitting, shackled, motionless, practically lifeless, a shell of her former self. It was no wonder Ty Lee was so upset. With that, she left Zuko and Suki to deal with the clean up and went off to find her friend.

- # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # -

Aang and Katara began to tell Yue what they suspected of Naghoda and the fire spirit, but as Yue explained, her connection to the world's waterbenders wasn't intimate enough for her to be aware of them individually, at least not under normal circumstances, so why, when and how this fire spirit had become trapped in a human body would have to left up to Katara's imagination. Yue could only start from when she was first made aware of the spirit's presence.

"It's hard to describe, but I felt a pull," she explained, "As if something was trying to draw energy away from me. It was nothing like how I share my spirit with waterbenders. There was no balance or harmony; it was trying to take power by force. I'd never felt anything like it, so I followed it to its source. That's when I found it, hiding deep down, buried in the body of a mortal and bound to his spirit. Horrified, I did the only thing I could, and momentarily cut myself off from the world."

"But why all of us? Why not just stop that one?" Katara asked.

"I can no more choose who benefits from my gift than a river can choose which animal drinks from it. My powers either flow freely to the world, or not at all. It was my hope that doing so would starve it out. That without any connection to the spirit world to feed on, it would simply fade back to where it came. Unfortunately, it turns out I wasn't its only source of energy. Being a fire spirit, it needed me as a conduit of spiritual energy, but it had also been gathering strength from any source of fire that it could. In fact, while it needed to draw on me for spiritual energy, that very connection between us was greatly reducing its strength. At the time, I was unaware of what influence I had over its strength, so when I severed those ties, it was able to release it's power unbridled. Realizing my mistake, I did what I could to stop it, but it was not without consequences. We were now fully aware of each other, and when I forced my influence over it again, it fought back. I believe both you and Katara, as well as every waterbender, felt the backlash of its anger."

Aang and Katara looked at each other. So that's what happened on Appa all those weeks ago. Through the Moon Spirit, every waterbender in the world got punched right in the bending.

Yue continued, "Since then, I've been trapped. Feeding it my energy to keep it subdued, all the while feeling its strength grow by the day. It was a losing gamble. All I was doing was buying time, hoping you would find it and stop it before it was too late. During the full moon I tried to contact you, but I was too weak to explain anything. It must have sensed what I was trying to do, because the next night it tried desperately to throw off my bonds. I couldn't stop it. It had grown more powerful than I could have imagined. It tore me away like it was nothing. As I tried again and again to hold it back, I could feel every waterbender in the world suffering because of my actions but I had no choice. Though no matter what I tried, I couldn't stop it. I feared it might finally escape, but then something happened. I felt It's attention turn elsewhere, and while I have no idea what distracted it, it did give me the opening I needed to reassert my will."

She closed her eyes and the water in the pond below rippled as she seemed to pull energy from it. She was silent for a few moments, as though just the thought of it alone were draining her. After another moment, Sokka tentatively stepped forward.

"But everything's fine now, right? I mean you're here talking to us. So does that mean problem solved? Crisis averted? Moon beats fire again and everyone's safe?" He shrugged and raised an eyebrow, sincerely hoping this was the case but knowing the universe didn't like him that much.

Yue closed her eyes for a moment and lifted her head. "I'm sorry, Sokka. I'm here because I finally had to relinquish my contact. Only moments ago, it found a way to take full control of its body. That's why you can't waterbend," she said, looking at Katara, "I was having a hard enough time dealing with this creature while it was suppressed, now that its managed this, pulling away my energy was the only option."

"But without a source of spirit energy, won't it be too weak to stay in this world for long?" Katara asked then turned to Aang, "That's what your past life said, right?"

Aang started to answer, but Yue took the question, "If it where that simple, I would have simply stayed detached when I first found it, but it had already gathered enough energy to remain for weeks. In that time it could have found another way to feed itself. It is for that very reason why I stayed in contact and hindered it all I could. Now that it's free, it will be looking for another source. Aang, this is very important. Without my connection to the spirit world, the body it now resides in is useless to it. It will be looking for a way to escape and create a new body for itself."

"So what do we have to do? Just tell us where it is and we'll stop it!" Aang said as both Katara and Sokka nodded. Toph just shrugged a bit, wondering when all the talking would be done so she could just get to the fighting.

"I don't know where it's gone, but I do know what it needs, the same two things it required before: energy from the spirit world, and plenty of fire."

There was half a moment when Sokka, Katara and Toph felt their spirits deflate a bit at hearing that even the Moon Spirit didn't know where to look for this thing. However, the thump of Aang's staff planting in the grass caught all their attention. The look on his face was determined, and the sound in his voice equally so. "Alright! Then I know where it's going!" he announced to the group with confidence.

"Woo Hoo!" Toph jumped up. "Aang's doin' the leader thing!" Sokka smiled, and Katara blushed a little. Even Yue, exhausted as she was from her prolonged weeks upon weeks of battle, managed to find hope in his enthusiasm.

Aang bowed to her respectfully, "Thanks for everything you've done, and I'm sorry for what you've had to endure on your own. Please rest, and I promise we'll take care of everything else."

Yue nodded and her visage began to fade into the moonlight. Aang turned to the others, determined to waste no time. "C'mon, let's get back to Appa and I'll explain once we're there!"

Sokka lingered behind. Walking to the edge of the oasis, he whispered Yue's name, then caught her ethereal visage as it shimmered back to life. He felt a cool tingle across his cheeks when she floated over and held her translucent hands to his face."

"Yue. I..." He was barely holding back tears.

"Sokka. You didn't fail me," she smiled at him, "This was my choice; it's what I wanted, for my people, for the world, for you. Let go of your guilt."

He felt her hands trace up the sides of his face, as though she were trying to lift his gaze even though she couldn't make physical contact. He looked up and met her eyes. There was a long pause between them, and then Sokka finally let the tears roll freely down his face. Her hands traced over his face as she pulled away, fading.

He wiped the tears from his eyes and bowed to the Koi swimming around one another.

"Thank you."

As he left the oasis, he knew he wouldn't see her again, yet there was no sadness about it. He'd felt like a weight had been lifted from him. The part of him she occupied was finally at rest. When the door closed behind him, a voice, like a whisper on the wind, rippled across the ponds surface.

"No, Sokka," it said, "Thank you."

- # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # -

Zuko told Suki everything that happened up in the mountains and Suki explained how and why she and Ty Lee ended up in Yenrai, and while the waterbending thing did seem like a serious issue, that felt more like Avatar stuff. Zuko was a bit more concerned about the crazy fire creature thing that wanted to kill everything. He took a walk out to assess the damage to his airship. Gao and the crew where alright. The captain was furious, but didn't have time to listen. Thankfully, nobody had been killed, and the airship itself fared better than what Suki described (though to be fair, she was kind of in a hurry at the time.) The air bladders, which took the direct strike, were completely burned away, and the support structures that held them up were burned and twisted. Other than that, the damage to the rest of the ship was relatively minor, although what damage there was would still take days, if not weeks, to fix. Zuko didn't have that kind of time.

From what information he was able to gather, the thing he'd fought in the mountains had flown off to the South after attacking the city, toward the coast. He wasn't sure where it was going, but without the airship they'd need another form of transportation. Going over his options, he remembered he'd sent his royal captain of the guard to Ba Sing Se through way of Omashu, and to get to Omashu, they took a ship. That should still be docked just west of Omashu and not too far south-west of their current position.

"That Eel-Hound you rode here, can it pull a cart?" Zuko asked Suki once he found her again.

"I don't see why not. Why, what's the plan?"

"We're tracking that thing and I want you and Ty Lee with me. I've sent ahead a Fire Nation ship that should be close by with orders to meet us at Pohaku, a port town dead south of here. The ship should be there in two days, and I want to meet it as soon as it does."

"What do we do with her?" Suki nodded her head toward Azula, who was still surrounded by guards. Zuko noted that, despite their history, Suki obviously took no pleasure in Azula's current condition.

"She's coming with."

"Is that a good idea?"

"No, but after everything I went through to find her, I'm not leaving her here!"

"Good point."

With all that settled, one thing weighed heavy on Zuko's mind. Up in the mountains, that thing said something about its body restricting it. If it was capable of doing this to a city in a matter of seconds, not to mention what happened up in the mountains, what would this thing be capable of once it was at full strength?

- # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # -

Making their way through the Northern Water Tribe was a somber experience. Everywhere they turned, benders were pleading to Aang, wondering why they couldn't bend and begging for his help. After a few blocks of this, they decided to split up. Aang would go to see Arnook, and try to explain things as best he could. Katara, Toph, and Sokka would get to Appa and get everything ready to leave.

It was a good thing Aang decided to visit Arnook, too. If he hadn't, he probably would have completely forgotten to ask about the spirit water Bayarmaa had urged him to get. After explaining everything as quick as he could, he left the meeting hall to find Appa and everyone else waiting for him at the bottom of the steps. He glided down the steps and landed on Appa's head next to Katara. Before they grabbed the reigns, he explained to her about the spirit water. Aside from healing, it could also be used as a powerful weapon against things from the spirit world. He handed it to her, hoping it would cheer her up.

Katara looked at it and shook her head, "Yeah, but if I can't waterbend, what good will it do us?"

_Oh yeah, that._

Luckily, Toph changed the subject just in time.

"So you said you know where this fire thing is headed, right? Care to fill the rest of us in?"

He's known it the moment Yue told them. About how this thing would need a connection to the spirit world and a lot of fire. Well, there was one place in the world that Aang knew fit that description perfectly. He'd been to it twice in this lifetime, several moer in another. After all, it was traditional to build Avatar temples in locations with strong ties to the spirit world. So if it needed that and plenty of fire, there was only one place it could be heading.

"It has to be headed for the volcano on Crescent Island, were Roku's old temple used to be."


	42. Chapter 41: In the Mind of Madness

**Chapter 41**

_In the Mind of Madness_

Zuko had one thing going for him: although they hadn't left Yenrai until this morning, it turned out that tracking a man on fire, flying through the sky in the middle of the night, wasn't proving all that difficult. There were certainly no shortage of travelers talking about it and it was the only topic of conversation going on in any village they passed through. From what they were able to pick up, it was heading south on an almost straight line away from Yenrai. The more information they gathered, the better the picture he could paint of its destination. If it kept on this course, there was only one place it could be going.

"It looks like it's headed for Crescent Island," Zuko said aloud to no one in particular as he looked over the map. They were stopped for a moment as the Eel-hound lapped water from a stream next to the road. Suki, who'd been standing near him, looked up as he spoke.

"Crescent Island? Isn't that where Avatar Roku's temple is?" Suki asked.

"Well... it was," Zuko paused awkwardly for a moment, "Avatar Roku kinda used Aang to destroy it so that Zhao and, uh, me, wouldn't capture Aang."

Suki flashed him a look with a raised eyebrow, "Anyway, if the temple's gone, what reason would it have for going there?"

Zuko looked over the map for a moment, then sighed and told her the only thing he could, "I don't know, but I'd bet my crown that it is. I can just... feel it."

"Shouldn't we send a hawk to try and contact Aang? We could try once we get to a big enough town" she asked, without questioning his gut. Hanging out with the Avatar has gotten her sort of used to this kind of thing. Zuko thought about it for a few seconds.

"I don't think we'll need to. He's the Avatar. If we need him, he'll be there."

The Eel-hound finished drinking with a final slurp. Suki went over to grab its reigns, working it back into the cart harness. Seeing her struggling, one of the other Fire Nation soldiers went to help.

Zuko, Mai, Ty Lee, Suki, two soldiers from Zuko's crew... and Azula. The wagon had room for more people, and initially Zuko wanted to bring more, mainly to keep an eye on Azula, but he couldn't afford to weigh down the Eel-hound any more than it was. Besides, the two guards he had brought seemed unnecessary as it was. Ty Lee was the one watching Azula and Mai was there for Ty Lee. Shackled, bound and chained up in the middle of the wagon, Azula's condition hadn't changed much since last night. Every now and then she'd mumble something incoherent, once or twice it almost seemed she might be crying, but other than that... nothing.

Zuko didn't want to say it… heck, he felt guilty enough feeling it, but for the time being this might be for the best. This creature they were chasing was bad enough, the last thing he needed was his sister and her scheming to get in the way. One thing at a time.

Still though, he couldn't help but wonder what was going on in her head...

- # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # -

I hear words echo through the darkness that surrounds me.

_...It's terrible when you can't trust the people who are closest to you..._

_...But it was my idea to burn everything to the ground! __I deserve to be by your side!..._

_...You... you can't treat me like this. You can__'t treat me like Zuko..._

Part of me feels as though these voices I keep hearing should mean something, but they don't. They drift by like debris in a river. I splay my fingers and reach out, trying to grab hold, but I may as well be trying to grasp smoke. I let them pass with no further concern, and after a while, I'm left alone in a wonderful peaceful silence.

Peace? That word has such a strange taste to it, as though it's something I shouldn't want or wish for. It leaves a brief want to ask questions and seek answers, but questions cause pain, so I let this curiosity flow from me as well. How long I've sat here, enraptured as I am in the comforting embrace of oblivion, is lost to me. Just like any sense of purpose or direction, time feels equally meaningless. I may have just arrived, or I may have been here my entire life. So when I feel something clinging to me, I'm not certain if it's just arrived or it's always been there, and I'm only now noticing.

I don't panic. That would require a level of concern no longer left in me. Instead, I study this curious lump of brown hair and red clothing cobbled together in the shape of a child. Of that much I'm certain, a girl perhaps telling from her sobs. I can't see much but the top of her forehead until she finally looks up at me. Two long strands of hair frame a face made from pale porcelain skin inset with two deep golden eyes and bright red lips. Her dark brown hair is pulled back and held in place by a flame shaped golden pin. Before I can ask her who she is or why she's attached herself to me, she jumps as the sound of malicious laughter seeps in through the inky blackness all around me. I can't explain why, but I find the sound almost soothing to me. The child doesn't share in my contentment. She sidles up next to me, burying her face against my arm and whimpers. This must be what she's hiding from.

For a long moment I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. Again, I hear that terrible laughter ring out around me in no particular direction, though now it has a different feel. More deliberate somehow, and I realize its specific intention is to terrify this child, to keep her running, to keep her hiding. I'm not guessing when I think this; somehow it's just something I know. More worrying is the strange sense of familiarity I draw from such calculated cruelty.

She trembles and buries her face in my side, and without thinking I wrap an arm around her to comfort her. I'm struck by how unusual this feels. Why? Why should I feel guilty, or ashamed for doling out comfort? And again, no answers come. Feeling my arm around her, the little girl huddles closer and presses herself against me. I'm suddenly aware of how warm she is, and even more of how much I miss this feeling. And the only thing more powerful than my longing to stay with her is the shame I feel toward that very desire.

I grab her and push her away. She stumbles and falls to the ground, then lifts her head to look at me. Tears are already pooling in her eyes, her pain and betrayal displayed with such raw and terrible honesty that it makes me sick to my stomach that I let myself feel something for someone so small, soft and weak. She's everything I'm not supposed to be and I hate her showing up again.

I scream at her to leave and flinch when I feel her pain reflect in myself. Even her proximity infects me with weakness, and despite my affliction, I scream again and, this time, chase her off with a blast of flame trailing behind her.

She runs, and with her goes that warmth I felt. Both disappear into the darkness and along with it, the feeling that I've just lost an important part of myself. I'm now more cold and alone than I've ever felt before. Have I made a mistake? Did I just do something terribly wrong?

I get on my feet and start to run after her. I try to yell for her, but the words never make it to my lips. Cold fingers clamp around my neck and squeeze my throat closed. They only sound I make is a gurgled yelp. I recognize the voice as the owner of that horrible laughter, and it comes as no surprise when I realize that she, like the girl, is another reflection of myself. Her clawed fingers give way to her arms wrapping around my neck.

"We got rid of her for a reason. Don't get soft on me now!"

I pull away, tearing myself out of her grip and try to run, but the ground beneath my feet shifts, and I sink and fall into eternity. Twisting head over heels, screaming to no one and getting nothing in return. I fall.

And I keep falling.

And falling.

Or... am I?

My senses have gone numb. How long has it been this way? How long have I been falling... or was I floating? With no sense of up or down, it hardly seems to matter. That child, the girl who strangled me, how long ago did I meet them? Moments, minutes, hours, days even? Time seems as meaningless as direction and my only sense of its passage is the steady thrum of my own heartbeat.

Ba-dump.

Ba-dump.

Ba-dump.

I suppose I could count them, use it as a way to figure time's passage, but alluring as it is to establish even that small amount of order amongst this nothingness, any point to even trying seems long since passed. Part of me screams at the contradiction, a long dead ghost of a memory tells me that I was once so confident with my place in the world, that I should cling to any semblance of order and meaning... but those expectations have been slowly and cruelly peeled away, bit by bit, until there was nothing left. And that's what I am: Nothing.

Ba-Thump!

Ba-Thump!

Ba-Thump!

My uncounted heartbeats pound even harder. I feel it pulse through every inch of my flesh. As the only sensation still fighting for attention, I consider it my greatest enemy. I reach up and claw at myself, wanting nothing more than to tear that horrible thing from my own chest.

Thump! Thump!

Thump! Thump!

Thump! Thump!

Harder now, the beating of my heart seems to sense its own demise increasing its protest to my actions. My body bucks and rolls and I realize it's no longer a heartbeat pounding in my ears, but footfalls pounding on the ground. I feel myself moving even though I'm sitting still. I rise and fall in rhythm to drum of feet playing against the ground. And despite a swelling anxiety in regards to my destination, I feel an even more overwhelming concern that we aren't moving fast enough. I rip back the curtains of my palanquin and yell at the detestable fools carrying it.

"Come on slowpokes, faster!"

They do as commanded, straining their already sore muscles at my behest because what other choice do they have? Though, despite my insistence on haste, anxiety swells within me the closer I come to my destination. It stops, the curtain pulls back and I scuttle toward the top. With each step my heart pounds even harder, and I fear what waits at the top, but I'm compelled forward. Casting a disdainful glance back down the stairs, I take to a knee without looking to the figure in front of me.

"Sorry I'm late, Father. Good palanquin bearers are so hard to come by these days. So, is everything ready for our departure?"

I look up to find myself kneeling in the middle of an Agnai Kai arena. My blood turns to ice. A cacophony erupts from the crowd, jeering, shouting and screaming. They cry out for my blood and, as I scan the sea of spectators, there's not a face I don't recognize, and as their howls for vengeance swell to a crescendo, I realize that each and every one of them deserves what they came for.

A girl with a single long braid, wearing what looks like a tacky pink circus outfit, jumps up and down, practically performs for those around her, as she yells. I can't distinguish one voice from another, but I don't need to hear her to know what I've done to bring her here. I'd taken Ty Lee from the life she loved, from the place that made her happy. She didn't want to go, and told me as much... I couldn't have cared less. Since when did another's needs ever mean anything to me?

"_I have a proposition for you. __I'm hunting a traitor. __I would be honored if you would join me on my mission__.__" It was ph__rased as a question, but both Ty Lee and I knew better. She tried her best to somersault out of it._

"_Oh...I...uh...would love to, but the truth is, I'm really happy here. I mean, my aura has never been pinker!"_

"_I'll take your word for it. Well, I __wouldn't want you to give up the life you love just to please me__,__" __l__ike I care about your 'aura', or what _you_ want..._

"_Thank you, Azula."_

"_Of course, before I leave, I'm going to catch your show."_

A meek smile pursed Ty Lee's lips, the best she could muster through newfound panic. "Uh...yeah...sure...uh...of course..."

_And I made it a memorable performance, indeed. Having her safety net set aflame, releasing the wild creatures to rampage about. If my intentions hadn't been clear before, I assumed now they were crystal._

"_What an exquisite performance. I can't wait to see how you'll top yourself tomorrow."_

"_I'm sorry, Azula, but unfortunately there won't be a show tomorrow.  
_

"_Really?"_

"_The universe has given me strong hints that it's time for a career change. I want to join you on your mission."_

My eyes drift to the somber girl with a mushroom crop of black hair sitting next to her. Mai. Our last moments together, at the Boiling Rock, echo in my ears...

"_I never expected this from you. __The th__ing I don't understand is why. Why would you do it__? Y__ou know the consequences."_

_Out of the corner of my eye, I take note of Ty Lee nervously eying the both of us.__  
_

"_I guess you just don't know people as well as you think you do. __You miscalculated. I l__ove Zuko more than I fear you."__  
__  
__She was wrong! Nothing was stronger than fear. "No, you miscalculated! __You should have __feared me more!"__  
__  
__Mai drew her knife, as I struck, but before I could finish the attack, a flurry of stinging jabs danced across my ex__posed arm and side. The next __thing __I know, I'm lying on the floor, looking up at two traitors that I'd foolishly called friends. __The humiliation of needing the assistance of the guards to drag me off the ground only fuels my rage._

"_Put them somewhere I'll neve__r have to see their faces again, and let them rot!"_

No! I don't deserve this. They betrayed me! Why am I in the ring!

...and there are so many more. The eyes of the Avatar flash as they meet mine, and in them I see the reflection of my lightning bolt striking him in the back. They're all here. The filthy watertribe peasant, her brother and his clown-faced girlfriend, the blind girl, the Earth King, a man covered in flames. It goes on and on. The stands filled impossibly to overflowing and seething with hate. And then there's Zuko.

My cruel games, the constant tricks, the taunting, the lies, and all that while we were still children. After mother left, it got even worse because I hated him more. How could I not, he took my mother from me. I lived to make him suffer. On the day of his Agni Kai, I was happy to see deal him more pain, glad when he was banished, and overjoyed to be given the honor to hunt him down.

So, why? Out of anyone in the Arena, why was he the only one not smiling? When he lifts his hand, it's not clenched in a fist like mine was, but instead he extends it to me.

I back away. I'm not weak like you are and how dare you show me the mercy I wouldn't dare show you. Then a voice turns my blood to ice.

"There has been a change of plans, Azula."

"What?" I ask, twirling around to find my father, taller than he should be and cloaked in shadow, glaring down at me. It's then I realize who my opponent in this Agnai Kai is supposed to be. My heart almost stops beating and a pain swells in my chest that I never wanted to feel again. My voice cracks when I try to speak.

"You... you can't treat me like this. You can't treat me like Zuko!"

"Azula, silence yourself." There is no pity in his voice. I don't know why I expected any.

"But I deserve to be by your side!"

He smiles, and in it I read the cold cruelty that should be reserved for anyone other than me! Without another word, flames engulf me. Instead of burning, however, I'm trapped in a block of ice. It's a horrifically familiar feeling and I want nothing more than to break free. My arms, my legs… nothing moves. I try to scream but every inch of me is frozen solid. I can't breathe. My chest constricts and spasms. I need to get out, I need air! Please no. Not again! Not this!

Somehow I spit fire and split the ice, but I'm still not free. My panicked scream is an explosion of bubbles. I chase them to the surface, but I never find it. Everything goes black.

When I wake, I'm lying on a shore that I don't yet find familiar, though there's a ghost of recognition that I'm too disoriented to acknowledge. It's night, there's a campfire in the distance, but I find myself drawn to another set of steps. Unlike the last, as I climb I feel no anxiety trying to push me away, but, instead, an odd sense of comfort pulls at me. I round the bend to find Zuko. He's sitting down, resting his back against one of the large columns of the torii gate that stands in front of our old summer home on Ember Island. He's looking down at something in his hands and at first I think it's a rock. It's only when I get closer that I realize it's one of the plaster hand-prints we made so long ago when we were children in what feels like another life.

"I thought I'd find you here," the words slip from my lips before I even think to say them and I'm surprised at the tone in my own voice. Sorrowful. More surprising still is that I'm not acting.

Zuko doesn't look away from the hand-print when he answers, "Those summers we spent here seem so long ago. So much has changed."

I don't know what to make of how I'm feeling.

"Come on, this place is depressing."

I turn to walk back down the steps but I'm back on the beach faster than I should be and night has turned to day. It's disconcerting, to say the least, having time jump foreword like this, but then I notice something that suggests it's the other direction I may have gone.

A bit further up the beach I see two children building a sandcastle together, a boy about five and a girl no older than three. Zuko and I… those summers... so long ago...

Zuko does most of the work while I, or rather, she, packs a bucket full of sand with a little wood shovel, scooping it so clumsily that only half of each shovel-full makes its goal. When she's was done, I watch her waddle on still chubby legs over to Zuko, the bucket so heavy she has to drag it, and sets it next to him. Zuko is, of course, taking things way too seriously. Precise with its placement, he overturns the bucket, taps the bottom a few times then lifts it, leaving a sandy mold in its place before handing it back to his sister so she can fill it again. As she gets to it, Zuko, with a stern look, concentrates on molding and carving the mound of sand with all the careful precision the blunt end of a stick can afford. Unlike her brother, the smile never once leaves Azula's face. The happy little laborer gladly goes back to gleefully filling the bucket with its next tower. Then the smile turns a little more mischievous. Leaving the bucket behind, she grabs a handful of sand and sneaks up behind her brother, careful to keep her laughter in check lest she give herself away, a feat of raw will not available to most three year olds. Then, plop! Right in his hair. Then she bursts at the seam into a mad cackle of laughter. Zuko jumps up, yelling, batting the sand off his head and shaking like a wet rat-dog. For a moment, he puts forth a halfhearted attempt at anger, but breaks into hysterics all too quickly as well.

There's a brief but high spirited sand fight, then they quickly return to their sandcastling.

I'm transfixed. It hurts to watch but I can't look away, and the happier they are, the more it hurts. I feel a tear drop fall from my face and I've had enough. The castle explodes when my foot stomps into it. The children freeze, too shocked to move, then run away screaming and crying. I kick the bucket after them for good measure, but beneath my feet the thing still remains too intact for my taste. I kick it again and again, flinging mounds of sand in all directions, but the feelings won't go away. I fall to my knees and pound with my fists while tears fall freely down my face. Why won't it stop? Why won't it go away? I don't understand! Why does it hurt so much? I bury my face in the sand and cry even more, raking my hands across the satin sheets...

"Azula, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

Zuko's voice hits my ears like a teacup shattering on the floor. I lift my head from the sheets. I'm in my room. For a long moment I can't move, can't breathe. All I can do is stare down at the dark splotches growing out from where my tears land and sink into the sheets. I watch a few more drips fall as I sit motionless, unable to answer even as my brother continues to press me. How can I? I'd failed father, expecting praise for the incompetent fire bending performance I'd just shown him. And now, after being so weak as to expect adulation for my ineptitude, Zuko shows up to tempt me with more.

"Why won't you just tell me what's wrong?"

He asks again, and more than anything, I want to answer. It would be so easy to have someone to cry to, to talk to, she could tell him everything that happened, it might help the pain go away... Why am I this weak!?

I almost give in, then I hear her voice.

"What's wrong is that I have a dummy in my room asking stupid questions!"

It's my voice, but I'm not speaking the words. Sitting next to me on the bed is another girl, except she's me, but not me. She's not crying, unlike me. She's not a weakling, unlike me. She cold, she's powerful, she's cruel, and there's no hesitation. She's everything my dad … no, everything _I_ want to be. She looks down at me and smiles with such a wonderfully intimidating and cruel smile that I only wish I could produce, and for a moment I almost shrink back and fall off the bed. She reaches down and pats my head.

"Hey!" Zuko yells back. I'd almost forgotten he was there. "I was just worried about..."

"About what? Are you worried because your little sister is already a better firebender than you?" I pause. It's not the girl saying these things anymore, but me. With a hand still on my head, she smiles even more, as if saying, yes, that's it. In the moment of silence, I gauge Zuko's reaction, and whatever I'm doing, it seems to be working. So I pressed harder, "...or did you lose some of your dollies? Oh, I know, maybe you're worried because Dad thinks you're not worth his time, so he chose to train me instead!"

"Shut up!" He yells through gritted teeth on the verge of tears.

"I hate you!" he screams and runs out the door.

Regret pangs me as I watch him run from my room. Yes, I knew it was wrong, but... somewhere deep down, I also enjoyed it - being able to so easily push the situation to my advantage using nothing but words. And my confidence, feigned at first, swelled in a matter of sentences.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" I ask my Other.

"What a silly question. I'm you, of course. Well, a better version, actually. As for why," She shrugs and looks up, "With everything that's been going on out there, I suppose it makes sense that you'd return here, to the single greatest day of your life."

The blank look on my face must speak for me. She rolls her eyes and stands up, slowly making her way toward the dresser.

"This is the day I was born, or to put it a bit less dramatically, the day you created me, imagined me, dreamt me up... however you want to describe it. The point is, you made me to compensate for what you weren't, or at least what you weren't yet. Then you spent the next few years working toward me as the goal. In other words, I'm the perfect you."

She picks a hairbrush off the dresser and walks to the full-length mirror. Turning the brush over in her hand, she's sighs and looks at her reflection. "And, until recently, things were going so well..."

But reflecting in the mirror is the unmistakable visage of our mother.

"I think you're trying to confuse her," my mother says to the me standing in front of her. "Your whole life you've used fear to control people, but the doubts that have entered your mind after what happened between you and your father on the day of the comet..."

The hairbrush thrown by my Other explodes the mirror in a rain of glass. As stray shards still bounce to the floor, my Other turns to me. Her rage is obvious but the reason less so. I had nothing to do with my mothers words. Why should I be the focus of her anger?

But before I can raise protest, we're interrupted by the repetition of words spoken only moments ago.

"Azula, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

I hear my brother's voice again. I turn around to see him standing in my room, and a much younger me crying on my bed. But this time, instead of insulting him and chasing him out, I watch myself get up and throw my arms around him and let lose with more tears. I tell him everything, and he listens. He tells me we should go talk to Mom. Then we exit together out the door. I've never allowed myself to imagine that path, but now I'm desperate for it. I run after them and my mind swims. What happens there? Mai and Ty Lee, Zuko, my mother... Father. Where would I be now if I'd only done that? Who would I be if...

My Other grabs a handful of hair and yanks my head back. I scream but it's cut short when a hand clenches around my chin and squeezes my jaw shut.

"I'm the choice you made, and I'm not letting you go that easy," she says before twisting me around to face the mirror. I have but the briefest of moments to notice it's no that, while it's no longer broken, there's no reflection to be seen - not me, or her, or even my mother, though I hardly have time to dwell on it before she smashes my face through it.

I hear the glass explode and a flash of white bursts behind my eyes and then nothing but black. I hit the ground, roll to a stop. Then, after a few painful moments, push myself up and stumble to my feet. My head hurts so much I can't open my eyes. I hear footsteps clicking on stone and know without looking that it's her: My Other. I try to run, but my head's still throbbing so hard I can't tell if I'm moving toward or away from her. I crack one eye open, but I'm in pitch blackness. Somewhere, right next to me, she speaks in a low, almost apologetic tone.

"Sorry about that, but it really is for your own good. I can't have you so easily falling victim to her tricks, after all. All these warm happy memories of you and Zuzu she keeps bringing up, hoping the nostalgic rush of fuzzy feelings will make you change your wicked ways and turn you into the good little girl she always wanted. Well it's a little late for that and we both know it."

Her fingers curl over my shoulder and with it the darkness recedes. We're back in the Agnai Kai arena, but his time, I'm not the center of attention. Frozen in front of me is Zuko, on his hands and knees, weeping before our father. "Besides, you and I share some pretty happy memories as well, don't we?"

I can't take my eyes off Zuko, but it's not him my Other directs my attention to. It's me - the me from that day sitting next to my uncle in the audience, fist clenched in gleeful anticipation and a joyous smile plastered across my face.

My Other stands next to me as I drink in the moment, then leans close and says, "You could build all the sandcastles in the world with little Zuzu and it would never make you as happy as you were in this very moment."

She places both hands on either shoulder then leans her head against my own.

"This is who we are. Don't forget it," she says coyly, then steps away leaving me to linger, pondering, and she's right. This did make me happy. I can't deny it. This _is_ who I am. It's all written right there on my face. Cold, cruel, and calculating. If I'd ever once cared for Zuko, there was no trace of it here. In this moment, I am everything my father ever wanted me to be.

My father...

I turn and look at him. Standing over my brother, who is cowering in terror, begging for the mercy I know he won't receive.

_...you can't do this, you can't treat me l__ike Zuko..._

I turn back to the me in the audience, grinning callously as I watch my brother suffer...

And then I hear it, low at first, barely audible. Is that... someone crying? And it sounds like it's coming from where I sit in the audience. I walk over and look down to find the source, and there she is. The little girl from before, the one I discovered huddled up against me, sits on the ground, knees pulled to her chest and arms wrapped around them. She's huddled into a little ball and scrunched against the wall bordering the arena. Instead of watching the Agni Kai, she's terrified of it. Sobbing so hard her entire body is shaking and when she lifts her head to wipe her eyes, I can't find a dry spot on her entire face. We lock eyes, and she just stares at me. She's angry. Angry with me. Angry that I was happy. Angry that I did nothing to help the brother she loves. Angry that I'd forgotten she was even there to feel these things in the first place. And though it happens slowly, I can feel something stir in the pit of my stomach. Rancid and broiling, trying to work it's way up and out... So I'm thankful when she finally looks away and buries her crying eyes into her arms again before the tears start falling from my own.

"She was here that day too," I hear my mother say. She's sitting where my uncle should be, and while everyone else remains frozen, she stands up, walks over to the child and then looks up to me. "You'd just gotten very good at ignoring her."

I try to swallow down the growing lump in my throat. Then my Other grabs me and throws me toward the center of the arena. "Enough of this!" I hear her yell as I land between my brother and father. I lift my head in time to see her jump down into the audience and I know who she's after.

"If you want something done right you have to do it yourself," I here her say just before blast of fire rolls from her hands to where I know the little girl to be sitting. I gasp, my fists clench, the breath catches in my throat... but she pops up into the arena, and not a second too late. She runs over and clutches on to me, putting myself between her and my Other. Her arms clench around my waist like a vice and I feel that warmth from before flow into me. She's scared to death and with good reason. My Other jumps into the arena behind us and her intentions are clear, she wears them on her face like a cruel mask. She intends to get rid of this child once and for all.

"You can't keep running forever you know." It's not the child she's talking too. "Really, how much longer are you going to let this continue? How much longer are you going to indulge this foolishness?"

For that one moment, time slows and leaves me an eternity between heartbeats. I look into those little golden eyes, my eyes from a lifetime ago, and I look to the me sitting in the audience, a gleeful smile still plastered across my face and fist raised in anticipation. After that, I turn my attention to Zuko, sitting on his knees in the middle of the arena, tears frozen to a terror stricken face. His heartbroken eyes look past me and fall on my father. As then, do mine. My father stands above both of us, his judgment as absolute as his mercy is absent.

There's a truth that hangs in the air between us. Me, my father and Zuko. A truth I've been desperate to avoid but can't any longer.

I collapse to my knees. "You're right," I tell her. "I'm too exhausted and I'm done running."

Her arrogant laughter shatters the air, and she responds as though this outcome was never in doubt. "It's about time you came back to your senses, now let's just get rid of this little loose end," she says, reaching for the child who recoils in horror.

"You misunderstand me," I say, locking my hand around her wrist. I twist her arm, spin myself under her, and shoulder-throw her across the ring. She hits the ground, bounces, and then slides to a stop.

"It's not you I'm tired of running from."

There's a moment of bewilderment, where she just... stares at me. I can't comprehend the emotion on her face because I believe she can't comprehend it herself. Though her incredulity doesn't last long. She scrambles to her feet. Incensed at my betrayal, she howls like a wild animal and breaths fire while glaring at me like a hungry animal. From a growl to manic laughter, she finally calms to a contemptuous grin and composes herself. She pauses to brush the dirt off her shoulders, then crosses her arms and scoffs with a raised eyeborow.

"Do you really want to fight me?"

I turn and motion with my head to my younger self, silently telling her to move back. Then, facing my Other, widen my stance and prepare.

"Yes, I really do."

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_**If you're curious as to why the hell this took so long, please click on my profile, I explain it all there (cause it would take too long here).**_


	43. Chapter 42: Reflections

**Chapter 42**

_Reflections_

My Father and Zuko stand frozen between us as I prepare to fight my Other in this out of time Agni Kai arena, a fitting spot for such a confrontation, a place where, again as it was then, my thoughts may not be as clear cut as I once believed.

"Stop with this foolishness. Think of all we've accomplished by working together and what we still can. I'm your perfect self, or at least I'd like to be, which brings me to that little brat hiding behind you. I've been trying to get rid of her for a very long time, but she's remarkably good at hiding, aren't you, you little coward? She's always finding some stray memory or useless thought to tuck herself away in. But now she's right here, we can get rid of her once and for all. Just move aside and..."

"You're not going to lay a finger on her."

My Other laughs, "You're hilarious. But you see, that's not how things work. It's really quite simple. I give the orders, and you follow them."

Her smile faded to a scowl and her voice became devoid of amusement. "Now move aside!"

I ready myself. "Sorry, but you're not the one giving orders anymore."

My Other wastes no time, throwing the first attack. I dodge the first few blasts of flame, twisting and letting them slip by. She runs at me, pressing the attack, letting fly three more blasts of flame. I duck under one, split the next around me then flip over the last, and as soon as my feet touch the ground, I charge. We move close in, exchanging blasts, but nothing connects. Then we're only feet from each other and tactics switch. She charges through her last fire blast, and sends a roundhouse kick at my face. I lean back and her boot just grazes the tip of my nose. I snap back and throw a punch. She does the same and we catch each other's fists. Locked in a momentary stalemate, she smiles at me and hisses through clenched teeth.

"Go ahead and run away. I know you want to, it's what your good at."

She twists my fist, bending my wrist back, pushing me to the ground. I bear the pain, readjust my footing and press back.

"I already told you, I'm done with running." I move a step foreword and push her back.

She smiles, digs her feet in and stops my advance. "Oh really. What is it you're running from exactly?"

We lock eyes for a moment.

"The truth."

She breaks into hard laughter, almost hysterical, but it doesn't cause her to lose footing. Instead, she seems to grow stronger because of it and starts pressing me back. "Please. I am your 'truth.' Without me, you're nothing!"

I stop pushing against her and pull her forward. I break free and duck around her. A hand wreathed in flame brushes by my cheek as she flails to regain balance. I dodge around it, grab her wrist and twist it behind her back. My other arm wraps around her neck. She struggles and screams, trying to wrench herself free, but she can't. During our struggle, I twist and wrench her around, pulling her over to where I want her in the arena. Zuko vanishes and we take his place, standing in front of our father. Looking up at him from what would have been Zuko's point of view, he's terrifying.

"Look at him!" I hiss in her ear. She pauses, and then, as if realizing what I'm about to say, explodes into another frenzied attempt to free herself. I understand completely, and, in a way, I feel sorry for her, but she's the reason it's taken so long to realize this, and I know I won't be free from her until we've both accepted the harsh truth. I do what I can to hold back tears as I whisper in her ear.

"He doesn't love us."

The words hurt more than I thought they could, but once they're out I can't take them back. I feel everything around me go cold. For the briefest of moments, my Other stops fighting against me. I feel her tremble for a moment, then she explodes with rage.

"Liar!" she screams.

She's spitting fire and flailing like a wild animal. I can barely keep hold of her. Something clinks against my feet as I struggle to hold her, and I look down to see a length of chain lying at my feet. I let go with one hand and quickly grab it off the grated floor and wrap it around her wrists. I put my knees in the back of hers, force her to the floor and pull the chain through the grate, trapping her in place.

"I'm sorry it has to be this way," I say, taking a few steps once she's secure.

"No, you're not!" she spits out between puffs of fire.

I take a deep breath, then close my eyes and bring up a memory I'd rather not live through again, but I need to, for both of us. When I open my eyes, we're back to where this all began: my father's self-coronation as Phoenix King. My Other is still chained down, but now in front of my father. The chains seem appropriate for what happens next.

"_There has b__een a change of plans, Azula."_

"What?" my Other looks up, afraid. I can feel it as well because I lived it.

"_I've decided to lead the fleet of airships to Ba Sing Se alone. You will remain here in the Fire Nation."_

"But I thought we were going to do this together," she protests.

_"My decision is final."_

"You..." She tries to stand up, but the chains keep her down and I wonder briefly if maybe I added the chains subconsciously to help myself through this. "You can't treat me like this. You can't treat me like Zuko!"

_"Azula, silence yourself."_

"But it was my idea to burn everything to the ground! I deserve to be by your side!"

"_Azula!"_ My father's not much for defiance, something you think I would have learned after watching what he did to my brother. But no, for some reason, I thought I was different.

"_Listen to me. I need you here to watch over the homeland__. I__t's a very important job that I can only entrust to you..."_

Time grinds to a halt. I walk over and kneel down in front of my Other. "Translation: I have what I want, and I don't need you anymore."

"That's... that's not true!" my Other says as she is crying.

She can't accept it. I know, because I couldn't.

"But it is," I tell her matter-of-factly, "Everything I'd ever done to make him happy, every sacrifice I make myself fit his definition of perfect. None of it meant a thing. I thought if I just tried harder, did something different, ruled better, or, I don't know... I must have done something wrong, but what? Why didn't he love me? Why was he treating me like this?" I shake my head. "Uncle, Mother, Grandfather, Zuko… we were all just things to be used to get him what he wanted. You can't treat me like Zuko indeed... Why did I think it would be any different for me? The truth is, I was just another means to an end."

I laugh to myself even as the tears pour down my face, and I realize that's it's not my Other I'm explaining this to, but myself. I can feel myself resisting. I want nothing more than to stop, to let these thoughts slip down and sink back into the murky depths in the far reaches of my mind. Every word I weave past my lips feels like a knife twisting in my chest, but I continue because I need to, because if I stop now, I know I'll never find the strength to make them manifest again.

I liken it to the feeling of vomiting to rid the system of sickness. It's a horrible feeling while it happens, but I'll feel better once it's out. At least I hope it works that way. I'm so very tired of being sick.

I turn my back on my other while she fumes and tugs at the chain. My eyes linger on my father, then turn to my own pitiful looking self. The pain's evident on my face, but having lived through this once already, I know just how quick my mind was to create a safety net of lies and illusions to keep me safe from the revelation I'd just made. A realization that I've spent every waking moment trying to convince myself wasn't true.

So this is what it feels like to be lied to and manipulated by the great princess Azula...

As I walk away my other starts spiting fire and screaming behind me. I take a glance around, looking for the little girl but she's nowhere to be seen. As I make my way down the stairs, which change and shift around me into the palace hallway, my Others screams of rage melt to pathetic sobs. I quicken my pace to put it behind me, but no matter how fast I walk it doesn't fade and whatever feeling of triumph I was trying to enjoy slips away. This isn't right. I deserve something for what I just did! Where's my reward? Why don't I feel any different, a bit of catharsis at the very least? Instead, I feel empty. No, it's worse than that. Not just empty, but despite spilling my guts back there, I can't help but feel like I'm still lying to myself.

Turning the next corner, I find myself back in the Agni Kai arena. The stands are empty, and the only other soul present is my Other, still chained to a grate that has no business being there. She's still crying, though more under control now. I want to turn around and walk away again, but I know I'll just wind up back here. Why can't I escape, what am I not seeing? She starts to laugh then looks up at me.

"You're still running, and you don't even know what from. I told you, I am you're truth. And this is why you really made me, you coward."

I assure her that I have no idea what she's talking about, but that just makes her laugh even harder. Once she's done she looks back up at me.

"This is so wonderfully delicious. You just keep on lying to yourself and you don't even know you're doing it. You really don't understand why I'm here, do you? To be honest, I didn't figure it out myself until just now, and considering I'm just a figment of your imagination, well... I suppose you're just too smart for our own good," she breaks into another fit of manic laughter.

Once her cackling winds down, my Other takes a few deep breaths to steady herself, then looks back up at me with a twisted smile, "You knew, deep down you knew!"

She spits at me after the last word.

"Knew what?" I ask, honestly confused. This prompts another bout of manic laughter. She rolls backward on her chains yelling at the sky. "You said it yourself, 'My own mother thought I was a monster,' but it wasn't your mother that thought that, it was you and you accepted it on the condition that daddy loved you for it. But he doesn't, and with that gone, the guilt started creeping in, didn't it!?"

I'm at a loss. I want to think it's just another trick of hers, but the pain I feel stirring deep tells me it's not. Guilt? For some reason the word conjures the image of my younger self. The little girl my Other initially showed up to chase away.

"Your Other?" She says, still laughing. It's the first time she's referred to herself by the label I gave her. In fact, I don't think I've ever said it out loud myself. "Convenient that you'd refer to me that way isn't it?"

I'm not sure what she's getting at, and just me thinking that seems to send her into another fit.

"Oh, come now. Isn't it obvious? Your 'Other'? As in, not you. Someone to shove all that guilt into so you could pretend it wasn't your fault. Always the schemer. Always planning and plotting for every eventuality, and I'm your easy way out. Someone to blame so you don't have to accept the consequences of what you've done."

She stops laughing and looks me dead in the eye, then spits out a rolling plume of flame at me. I step back and deflect it, but when I do, she comes running through the flames. I wasn't ready. She catches me off guard and gets me and twists me into a headlock. Her breath's still hot from the fire and I can feel my cheek burning as she hisses into my ear.

"Well, too bad, I don't accept it. I don't accept your blame. I don't accept your guilt. You can't just use me the way you've used every single person in your life. You want to be rid of me, then take it for yourself."

I feel her hand punch into my back, breaking the skin, ribs cracking. I feel her fingers curl around my heart...

My insides are nothing but fire; pain like this shouldn't exist. I'm caught in an endless explosion made of visions from my past. Twisting and blending into each other, I feel myself pulled in every direction at once. I'm on ship, charging a lightning bolt for Zuko. I let it loose and strike the Avatar in the back. The flash of light is a net being lit on fire, then I'm on a tightrope, balancing precariously as I look down at the wild animals filling the tent below me. I feel lost in the eternity of my own life, pulled further and further down into the darkest deeds of my own doing. Almost worse than the visions is the cacophony of voices swirling around me. I should be overwhelmed, lost in nothing but a sea of noise, but I can hear each and every voice individually. It even drowns out my own screams.

_I still think our dad would make a much better Fire Lord._

_A real general would stay and burn Ba Sing Se to the ground._

_You lied to me!_

_Like I've never done that before._

_Dad's gonna kill you. Really, he is._

_No, you miscalculated! You should have feared me more!_

_You mean it's not obvious yet? I'm about to celebrate becoming an only child!_

_But it was my idea to burn everything to the ground! I deserve to be by your side!_

_I think you should take their precious hope and the rest of their land, and burn it all to the ground._

I'm on the ground, crying, covered in sweat, barely able to catch my own breath. For the moment, before I'm able to open my eyes, the last of the voices bounce about my head, though these last ones seem strangely soothing.

"_If you kill the Fire Lord, they'll execute you!"_

_It's Yu's voice, warning me. No, pleading with me not to kill Zuko._

"_I don't care."_

"_I DO!"_

Of every other vision and voice, this was one I felt no guilt over. I didn't kill him. I couldn't. In that very last moment, when I realized he wasn't trying to protect Zuko, but putting his life on the line for me...

However, once I open my eyes and realize where I am, the significance hits me.

I'm in my father's war. I'm not alone. The room is filled with the Fire Nations top generals. Above them sits the Fire Lord himself. To his right sits my brother, and to his left... Myself.

"The people of the Earth Kingdom are proud and strong. They can endure anything as long as they have hope," I hear my brother finish.

"Yes, you're right," my father says, thinking it over, "We need to destroy their hope."

"Well, that's not exactly what I..." Zuko begins to protest before I cut him off.

"I think you should take their precious hope and the rest of their land, and burn it all to the ground."

"Yes..." my father smiles, and my heart sinks as I watch myself respond in kind, "Yes, you're right, Azula."

I watch the delighted smile spread across my face, sitting there, so happy, so proud. Everything stops, and I'm left to stare at myself, sitting there beside my father, beaming with pride, joy and utter delight at his approval. I wear the grin like a child being praised for good grades or a toddler beaming with pride after getting her parents approval for a finger painting...

My whole life, all my mistakes, all my regrets, every terrible decision I've made are put on perfect display in the form of a smile. His approval meant everything, and I never gave a second thought to what I had to do to get it.

"_I don't care."_

"_I DO!"_

Yu.

"_Didn't you say your first memory was something about waking up in a forest or something?"_

"_Woo Long Forest."_

"_Yeah! That was it."_

I'm condemning him to death, and I'm doing it with a smile on my face.

Not just him, either. How many thousands just like him was I so flippantly suggesting be burned alive? How many lives was not a single consideration given simply for that fleeting, insignificant, and ultimately discarded moment of approval?

...

I couldn't be more disgusted with myself than I am in this moment.

Suddenly the fires in the war room blink out. My body tenses, quickly shifting on my feet I spin, looking for something, anything, but nothing greets me.

"You disappoint me, Azula."

The booming thunder of his voice shatters the stillness. I drop to one knee without thinking, the reflex of a well-trained pet. Surrounded by flames, he sits before me upon his throne, my father, the Fire Lord.

A cold sweat drenches my body, my gut twists. I've done something wrong, something to displease him. Just like that I'm a frightened child all over again. My mouth is dry when I part my lips to speak.

"Father, I..."

"Silence yourself Azula."

I bite my lip and clench a fist. My hearts pounding so hard I fear it may crack my ribs. What did I do? Why can't I think? My head's swimming for answers but I feel lost in a blur of confusion. What's wrong with me? There was something I needed to say, something I needed to do, but it's gone now. I feel myself starting to slip away. I want to do nothing but hide, to fall away and escape. I can't do this. I can't face him. I'm breaking again. Though, in that moment before oblivion, a single word passes my lips.

"No."

It's all it takes to stop myself from falling. For a moment, there hangs in the air a silence so delicate, I feel the very next sound could shatter the world. I don't even dare to breathe. The sound of my father shifting to stand makes me wince.

"What did you say to me?"

I take a deep breath. My heartbeat calms, my hands steady. I feel a clarity of mind wash over me that I haven't felt in... I don't know how long. I rise to my feet and, looking down, I push the darkness away. The familiar carpet of the throne room spreads out beneath my feet, a few moments later I pull the pillars into existence, then the ceiling, then the walls. The torches flicker alight and I stand to face him.

"I said, 'No.'"

His fury strikes like lighting. Jumping to his feet he screams at me.

"You dare defy me! You _will_ do as ordered or..."

A damn bursts inside me, "Or what!? You'll burn me like Zuko, or banish me like mother, or have me killed like grandfather!? All anyone has ever been to you is a means to an end. You used me the same way you used everyone else, and I was a fool to think I was any different! Well it's over father, and I'm done taking your orders!"

Before I can even turn to leave, he's already in motion. He's fast, as should be expected for the most powerful firebender alive. The flames in front of the throne spill out like a tidal wave. There's nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and trying to block or redirect such a massive amount of fire would be futile even with my skill, so I don't bother with any of it. The flames fill the throne room and consume me from all directions. In a manner of moments, my body should be little more than ash, bones and all.

So when the flames clear and I'm just standing there, completely untouched, my father is understandably upset.

"How..." he hisses.

"Because none of this is real. This isn't the throne room, that wasn't fire, and you're not really here." I give the surroundings a sweeping glance. "This is all me, and you only have power here because I've let you. That all ends now."

Impotent rage burns behind his eyes as he tries to stare me down and regardless of my own words I'm repeating over and over in my head a thousands times a second that this is only a dream, only a dream, only a dream. I turn to leave and start walking toward the door. However, true to the man he is, or at the very least, my imagined projection of him, he turns to his second best weapon.

"And without me, Azula, what do you have? Who will you turn to? You're a fugitive in your own Kingdom, a war criminal outside it. Your 'friends' have turned on and your own brother threw you into an asylum to rot. Like it or not, I am all you have left. You are nothing without me, Azula."

Every words hurts, because everything he says is true. Everything except for one. I stop and address him over my shoulder.

"No father, I'm nothing because of you!"

It's enough to shatter to his cool exterior. He's screaming at me as I leave. Worse, he's on the verge of laughter as he does it. I know now that this really isn't my father. I'm creating this, I'm creating all of it, but that just makes his words all the more freighting. He's become my deepest fears given voice.

"You think it's that easy!? That you can just walk out of here and be done with it? Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not going anywhere. I'm part of you Azula, and no matter how hard you struggle, I always will be!"

His laughter trails away as I lean against the heavy door to shut it. With it closed, I take a moment to enjoy the silence, still resting my forehead against the cool, metal plated door. Though, I suppose it isn't actually cool; that's just my memory of it, which leads me to my next thought... How do I get out of here? I've never had to forcefully wake myself up from a dream before... So how does that work?

I turn around, and lo and behold, I find that younger version of myself standing before me. It's not entirely unexpected.

"So what are you supposed to be anyway, my innocence or something like that?" I put a hand on her head. "Though I suppose if that were true, you'd be much smaller than this."

She grabs my hand and starts leading me down the hallway.

"C'mon," she says, "Mom's waiting."

She leads me out to the courtyard with the turtleduck pond. My mother is kneeling at the edge, breaking off hunks of bread and feeding them. When we get closer, she stands up and brushes crumbs off her robes. Then, as both the child and I get to the pond, she lets go of my hand and opens her arms expecting a hug. I'm taken aback for a second. I'm really not one for shows of affection, but... I suppose.

I lean down and embrace her. That same wonderful warmth comforts me as I draw her close.

I close my eyes and just let it sink in... and then she's gone. She disappeared in my arms, but her warmth is still with me.

"What... what was that?" I ask my mother as I stand up.

"Just a gift. She's just happy that you've decided to stop ignoring her," she smiles and throws another hunk of bread to the turtleducks. "I know how she feels."

I take a step back and take a long look at my mother. "Isn't it about time to take off that disguise?"

She smiles at me and laughs. "About time you figured it out. Good, this was getting kind of stuffy anyway, and it's a few sizes too big."

I watch as she pulls my 'mother' off like dirty clothes and drops her husk in a pile next to her feet. Instead of grotesque, it actually just looks like a pile of fleshy colored clothes, thankfully. What just shed the mother suit is me... Not my "Other", just a mirror of myself, except, well... much more naked. And as much as I admire my own form, I quickly make a request.

"Would you mind putting some clothes on?"

She just smiles and tilts her head, "I'm afraid I don't have anything to wear. Dressing me is going to be your job."

"I'm... not sure I understand? Who are you exactly?"

"It's not really that simple," she looks down at the pond and up to the sky, "It's your head we're hanging out in, so everything here is you. Even this conversation is just you trying to figure this all out, though if I'm forced to label myself, I suppose 'conscience' is the closest thing that makes sense."

I eye her a bit suspiciously, even trading a glance at the crumbled up mother suit lying at her feet. She snickers and kicks it with her foot. "You've put so much practice into ignoring me that even when I sensed the chance, I had to wear that silly thing just to get your attention. Even then you didn't make it easy."

I trade a glance back at her while I remember everything I've been through over the past few months.

"You know, you weren't exactly gentle... Wait a minutes! You slapped me."

"Wouldn't you be angry at being ignored you for so long?"

"And you're supposed to be some sort of conscience?"

"Well, I am _your_ conscience."

"I... ok, point taken. So, now what?" I ask, looking around. I'm not ever sure what I'm looking for? A ladder? A door? Something. How do I leave?

She answers as though she's reading my mind, which, of course, she is. "That's simple. You just have to..."

She leans over and whispers in my ear, "Wake up."


	44. Chapter 43: The Choice

**Chapter 43**

_The Choice_

"My ship! Where's..." Makato looked up and down the docks, exasperated. "Where's my ship!?"

"How do you lose a ship?" Iroh asked.

"I didn't. It was here. I know it was here! This is exactly where we docked when the Fire Lord ordered me to bring his sister's armor to that bounty hunter and her giant mole creature."

That seemed to brighten Iroh up, "Oh, and how is June, anyway? Should have brought her to Ba Sing Se with you."

Makato was a little taken aback by Iroh's apparent enthusiasm for the girl. "Uh, she couldn't track the princess for some reason." Makato furrowed his brow and walked up the dock, as though retracing his steps might help him remember where the ship was, as though it simple as a pair of lost keys. "Then we got back, and another note from the Fire Lord arrived telling us to go protect you. We dropped off the armor, secured the docking fee, then headed to Ba Sing Se. Look!" Makato swiped some papers from one of his men, "See!" he said pointing at it, "Official docking papers, Kiyun city, slip twelve. This is Kiyun city, this is slip twelve. Where's my ship!?"

Iroh shook his head, then ran a hand over his beard. "Just wait here," he said to Makato, "I may have some old friends in this city that can lend us a hand."

Makato protested at first, telling Iroh that his mission was to protect him and he couldn't very well just let him wander off alone. Iroh reminded Makato that he was already disobeying orders by not staying in Ba Sing Se. That, and Iroh's 'friends' were apparently not very fond of 'outsiders,' whatever that meant. So, Makato and his men were left to sit at the docks and wonder where their ship had gone.

- # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # -

The answer to where Makato's ship had gone was simple. Being the Fire Nation ship in closest proximity to the port town south of Yenrai, it had been the very recent recipient of a black ribbon scroll attached to the leg of a messenger hawk. That scroll, signed by the Fire Lord himself, made it very clear that the crew was to pull anchor and be on its way to the aforementioned port town within five minutes of receiving the note, or else! ...and that's exactly what they did, even leaving some men behind in the process. By the time Makato arrived to find it missing a few days later, his ship had already picked up the Fire Lord and company and was currently approaching Crescent Island.

Azula was secured in a holding cell below deck, hands and legs still shackled, with two soldiers standing guard outside. It might all seem a bit extreme for someone in her condition, but her transport to the ship hadn't been entirely uneventful. As the trip wore on, she'd become increasing more agitated and unpredictable. While seemingly still unaware of the outside world, she would, without warning and for no apparent reason, start screaming or crying or thrashing about, and, most disturbing of all, laugh uncontrollably. Luckily, at no point had she used firebending during her fits. Zuko was thankful for that. So, while Zuko still considered her a threat and would have probably done the same on the chance of her coming back to her senses, her incarceration and restraint was currently more for her safety than anyone else's.

Though, at the moment, Azula was the least of Zuko's concerns. Crescent Island was in view, and the Island was angry.

Crescent Island had always been an active volcano. However, for most of its recorded history, that activity had been stable, otherwise an Avatar's temple would have never been built there, nor would it have stood for over a century until destroyed by the temples owner itself. That eruption, triggered through Aang by Avatar Roku, had been one of the island's single most notable events in recent history. By the days end, it would pale in comparison.

The sun was blocked for miles out from the ash cloud billowing from the volcano's molten crown. The shore itself, except for the crescent's horns, was completely invisible, covered entirely by a thick curtain of steam.

"It's almost like it's breathing," Ty Lee said. Everyone not directly responsible for piloting the ship, keeping it in motion, or guarding the princess was up on deck taking in their objective alongside Zuko.

Neither Mai, Suki nor Zuko said a word in response, yet they all silently agreed with Ty Lee's assessment as they watched more and more ash spill into sky. Like a an avalanche of dirty gray snow refusing gravities clutch, it poured upward, spilling into the unfortunate sky, but unlike any avalanche or eruption before, it did so with a rhythmic pulse. Just as Ty Lee said, it was like watching the angry mountain breathe.

Zuko directed his helmsman towards the northern horn. Crescent Island was hard enough to land on as is without sending his ship toward craggy shores they couldn't even see. As the ship made way, Zuko gripped the rail hard and sighed. The entire trip from Yenrai he'd been wracking his brain, trying to come up with some kind of plan for dealing with this thing. Days later and with his goal in site, he still had nothing. It felt like old times, but not in a good way. His uncle would be furious, but what other choice did he have? This thing was dangerous, and he couldn't just let it wander around unchecked. He sent out as many hawks as he could, trying to contact as many ships in the area as possible for backup, but none had shown up yet. Chances were they hadn't even received the letters, might not even for a few days yet, and even if they did he wasn't sure what to do with them when they got here. If it was one thing Zuko's banishment had taught him, it was how to work alone, to rely on himself. Planning a full scale military assault... He wasn't his uncle Iroh, that was for sure.

Though, right now, it wasn't his uncle's presence he was wishing for. If there was one person in the world that he hoped would show up at this very moment, it was the Avatar.

- # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # -

"Is that a Fire Nation ship?" Katara asked, peering into the distance as she stood up and propped herself against one of Appa's horns. Aang looked, and Sokka shot up, quickly rummaging through his pack for a telescope he'd picked up as a trinket in one of the many towns they'd attended an Avatar victory celebration in.

Aang could see a small black ship but no more detail than that. It was Sokka with the aid of his telescope that got the best look.

"I think... I think I see Zuko... AND SUKI!" he said, yelling the last part, "Full speed ahead! Yip yip!" Sokka's enthusiasm spread to the rest of them (not for the same reasons, of course.) Aang snapped Appa's reigns and sent them spiraling down toward the ship. In no time, Appa was landing on shore just ahead of Zuko's ship. The steam boiling up from the ocean and lava coursing around them made Appa nervous and Aang could sense it. As they hopped off Appa, Aang pulled out his bison whistle and tapped it with his finger, "Go ahead buddy, I'll call you when we need ya."

With that, Appa slapped his tail onto the ground and cast off to circle the island from a more comfortable distance. Zuko's ship made shore, the bowsprit of the ship folding down into a gangplank and crashing into the rocky shore. Aang, Sokka and Katara couldn't help but be reminded of the first time they'd met Zuko, during a similar approach to their village in the southern water tribe. This time the greetings were far more amicable. Aang and Zuko greeted each other with open arms, as did Sokka and Suki, however a bit more enthusiastically (even though it hadn't really been that long since they'd last seen each other, as Katara pointed out when they stayed locked together a bit longer than most everyone else was comfortable with).

"What are you guys doing with Zuko?" Sokka asked Suki. Then came time to compare ntoes. Suki and Ty Lee explained what happened in Senlin after the whole Combustion Man incident. The note about Azula's escape and how that led them to Yenrai where they'd met up with Zuko. Zuko continued from there, going into detail about what happened in the mountains with sister, and of course the fire spirit. Then Aang, Sokka and Katara filled them in on the rest (Toph opted out of wanting to explain anything, since she said spirit stuff made her head hurt). All in all, it was quite a lot of information for all parties involved and it took some time, but eventually everyone was on the same page.

"Alright, you guys stay here, I'll..." Aang started as he opened his glider to fly away.

"Aang, wait." Katara stopped him with a hand on his arm. "This things immune to fire, and our waterbendings almost gone. That leaves you with two elements to fight this thing and we have no idea how strong this thing actually is. I think we should all go with you."

"I didn't come all this way just to sit on the sidelines Twinkletoes." Toph said crossing her arms. Mai splayed out some knives and remarked that this was only the second time in the entire trip she wasn't bored. Sokka, Suki, Ty Lee and Katara also all made cases why they wanted to go.

"Besides," Sokka pointed toward the islands restless interior. "With all that ash and lava spitting everywhere, you're glider's not gonna last ten seconds."

Aang wanted to continue arguing and make the case that this really was Avatar business, but Sokka was right. He'd have to go in on foot, and he knew from (past life) experience that being the Avatar didn't make one immune to the dangers of an active Volcano. Which was even more reason not to being them along.

It turned into a short argument that Aang eventually lost to Sokka's planning. His idea just made too much sense. Toph could move them around on a slab of rock while Zuko and some of his firebenders kept the heat and molten lava at bay. Aang could keep the ash clear with airbending and the rest of them would be the eyes so they wouldn't get snuck up on as they looked around. Then when they found the spirit, the rest of them could serve as back up while smacked it's butt back into the spirit world (as Toph put it).

With everyone finally in agreement, they were ready to go. Katara needed a second to run down to shore and fill her waterskin. She kneeled down and waved a hand over the water, and only with great strain, pulled some up and into her waterskin. She sighed and shook her head. Another part of this planned relied on her being the healer in case got hurt, but with her waterbeding as weak as it currently was, she just hoped she was up to the task.

- # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # - # -

In the belly of a small Fire Nation ship, the bleary, unfocused eyes of the Fire Nation Princess suddenly snapped to focus. She gasped for breath as though just pulled drowning from a rushing river, and for those first few seconds, everything seemed a blur. Nothing made sense. Where was she? Why was she in chains? Was she still dreaming? What's going on? As the world pulled into focus, a few things became clear. She was on a Fire Nation ship. She was in chains, it hurt, and no, she wasn't dreaming. There was a stark, harsh tangibility to this reality that hadn't existed in the last one. The smells, the sounds, the taste in her mouth, her lucidity of thought, it all gave bitter solidity to the fact that she was no longer dreaming.

She rolled over on to her back and, taking a few deep breaths, did what she could to clear her mind of that bizarre dream, and what a strange dream it was. She gave herself a few moments, waiting for her vague unease to slip away as the lingering annoyance of such a jumbled dream subsided as memories of dreams always do. She took a few breaths and collected herself. Now wasn't the time to be wasting thoughts on shadows and wisps left behind by whatever fever she'd just pulled herself through. She was finally starting to feel better, but that didn't change the fact that she was currently in a very unfavorable situation, and her most immediate plan of action was to figure a way out, starting first with trying to remember how she'd gotten in it.

Her last waking night on the cliff played through her mind, and even now, with the clarity of mind to unweave the twisted knot she'd tied into her reality, it still made little sense. What happened to Yu? What was that... _thing_ he became? There was more. Threads of memories so faint they felt like half-remembered dreams but which she knew for certain to be real, even if she didn't want them to be.

All said and done, she had enough pieces of the puzzle to figure out her current situation. She was Zuko's prisoner, and if she wanted the rest of the puzzle solved, well... asking nicely wasn't going to get her out of these shackles or off this ship. Time for plan B.

Both guards were startled out of a half sleep by a blood-curdling wail. One tripped over his own feet while jumping out of his skin, the other may have even peed himself a little. The ear piercing scream continued until both men worked up enough nerve to peek through the small circular window, possibly fearing attack from the world's smallest, shrillest dragon. Instead, the only thing inside was the princess, sitting up on her knees and waling like some horrid tortured spirit. Then, as soon as both eyes were on her, she stopped, rolled her eyes up into her head, and then fell over, completely, utterly motionless.

"Uh... I don't think she's breathing," one of them said after a few moments staring through the window, which then broke into a far longer argument about what to do than Azula would have hoped. By the time they'd reached consensus, Azula was starting to turn blue.

"Look, one of us has to check it out. That's the Fire Lords sister. If she dies on our watch, he'll have our heads! Now just get in there!"

Every ounce of Azula's being begged for air, and it took every ounce of her willpower to keep from twisting, trembling or convulsing. _ Idiots! Open the damn door before I pass out for real!_

"Ok, fine. I'll go in first; you back me up." The door clicked open, they stepped in, walked over, and then the plume of fire Azula spat as they rolled her over sent them sprawling. The surprise of it served its purpose better than she had planned. One of the guards stumbled back and tripped over the corner of the bed. His helmet made a loud 'tong' when he hit the wall behind him. One down. The other guard, while startled, was still on his feet and going for his weapon, and for a fleeting moment, Azula couldn't help but feel insulted that Zuko had apparently left non-benders to guard her. Still restrained, she rolled back onto her shoulders, kicked up to her feet, then threw herself as hard as she could against him, slamming him into the wall behind him. He let out a solid 'oomph' and crumpled to the ground.

Azula stood up and caught her breath. She was still a little shaky, and spitting out that plume of fire had almost made her pass out, though she didn't have much time to waste. Her screaming that lured these two inside was bound to draw more attention. If she wanted to get out of here and find out what happened to Yu, she'd have to move fast or fight the whole ship. She got the key off the guard, and, after some struggle (it's not all that easy to unlock restraints while wearing them,) was quickly but quietly making her way through the ship. Running past an open storeroom, she almost tripped over her own feet. She had to stop and back up to make sure what she thought she saw was actually what she saw. It was. Sitting in the room was an open chest, and in that chest, was her armor.

"Great, I'm still hallucinating," was her first thought, but no, it was real, and except for some dust and what looked oddly enough to be the nose print of some giant animal on the shoulder guard, it was in perfect condition and all there. She looked down at the soiled, filthy rags she was currently wearing, then back to her Royal armor. She couldn't even begin to understand why it was here, but she wasn't about to look a gift ostrich-horse in the mouth.

Making it to the deck was easy. As it was, there was hardly anyone on board, which only raised more questions; though not as many questions as when she finally got on deck and saw where they were. From a distance she would have figured out is was Crescent Island, but run up on shore all she could see was that they were on a volcanic island. Only by chance did she get any more information than that. Standing on a ladder and peeking out onto the deck from a small hatch, she heard this exchange between the two soldiers guarding the forward docking plank.

"...hey, just be glad were not out there looking for that fire creature. I'll take boredom over certain death any day."

"Yeah, but this is certain death from boredom. How long are they gonna be gone?"

She stopped paying attention after that and ducked back down the hatch. Fire creature... Eyes like white hot coals, a voice that roared like fire, and flesh that burned to the touch... that thing that Yu had become.

_** …I will make sure you live long enough to watch everything you know turn to ash before you die!**_

She hadn't thought about it till now, but the skin around her neck, where it had held her by the throat in its smoldering grasp, was still tender when she put her hand to it. The whole thing simultaneously sent a chill down her spine and boiled her blood. That thing tried to kill her, and if it was here on the island, she was going to find it.

With both guards still looking off the front of the ship, she quietly crawled out of the hatch and made her way to the nearby anchor. It wasn't down since the docking plank in the nose of the ship was big and heavy enough to hold the ship in place, but hanging from the anchor was enough to let her drop down to the rocky shore. Using cover of the jagged rocks she made her way from the ship.

Soon enough she was hopping over small streams of lava seeping down the volcano and into the sea, erupting into geysers of steam. Further up still, those streams became rivers. Bubbles of red hot liquid earth belched up from their depths, bursting and spitting a deadly spray of molten rock. A normal human would probably be dead in moments; her firebending was the only thing keeping her alive. Redirecting burps of spitting lava and dissipating blasts of intense heat, she made her way across the hellish island. Unbeknownst to her, her brother, some old friends, and some old enemies were at this moment doing the exact same thing on the other side of the island, though, as it turned out, Azula had one major advantage. A bigger group meant more distractions. So, while Zuko and everyone with him talked strategy, exchanged notes, theories and worries, and constantly preoccupied themselves with making sure the non-firebenders were shielded from the danger of the volcano, Azula made a discovery on her side of the island that they had missed.

There was an unnatural pulse in the heat. Slight, but there. Concentrating on the lava, she could see it but only barely. A ripple of slightly darker red, like its heat was being drained, moved up the flow and in the same direction everywhere she looked. It wasn't constant, that's why it was so hard to see at first, but seemed to follow a steady rhythm once she had. To test it, she held up her hand and produced a small sphere of blue fire and held it as still as possible. The barely perceptible rhythm pulsed through the lave and with it the sphere in Azula's palm went slightly oblong, tugging in the same direction as the pulse in the lava, then stopped, started again, then stopped, start, stop, start, stop... almost like someone breathing.

Accepting the invitation, she followed the pulse of her burning blue compass. The longer she followed the pulse, the more obvious it became. Whatever it was leading her onward was getting stronger, and at the same time, the volcano became more enraged. Far above her, the throat of the volcano exhaled smoke and ash like it was breathing. Exhaling, a pause, then exhaling again, and Azula didn't think it just coincidence that it matched the pulse rippling through the lava flow. It was brighter now, moving faster. Whatever the cause, she was close. The ground beneath her rumbled and she steadied her feet. Far up the slope, like blood gushing from a fresh wound, she watched fresh flows of lava sputter and spit from the volcanoes throat. Looking back down before moving, she suddenly froze in place then quickly ducked behind a large boulder. Standing just up the mountain, was Yu.

The pulse converged on him. Azula peeked out from behind her rock and watched, as the color drained from the lava around him with every deep breath it took, like he was drawing the heat in from all around him and draining the volcano itself. Fascinated and frozen in place, Azula watched in awe as it dawned on her that she had no idea what she was actually doing here. What was her plan? Other than finding Yu, she didn't have one. Was this about revenge on this thing, or... something else? It occurred to her that back on the ship may have been a better place to mull this over, but she'd felt such a need to get a move on, that now that she was here, well...

Peeking out from behind the boulder, she watched as the thing-that-was-Yu lifted a hand and wrapped it around its own throat. Then, with a scream that could shatter stone, it began to tear at itself. At first, Azula thought it to be ripping itself in half, but as she continued to watch in horror, something even stranger was happening. From itself it tore another, fully intact body. As it twisted pulled the other body free, the original began to change. Color faded from its skin, which turned black as coal. Its coal-colored skin then split and cracked, exposing a churning fire beneath, like veins made of magma. Its features continued to twist and distort. The blackened skin of its head burned away, revealing an almost featureless face with only deep red eyes to give it definition. Chunks of skin broke off to show a body of living lava coursing and seeping beneath. A final yank and it held the other body away from it at arm's length.

"Yu," Azula whispered to herself.

Then it looked down to her. She ducked back behind the rock, but realized too late that it wouldn't do any good. How could she have been so stupid? The entire reason she'd been dragging Yu around this whole time was because of his ability to sense benders, and if that thing was the reason he could do that in the first place. She was an idiot. It had known about her the entire time. Probably even before she'd left the ship. Pulling Yu out of itself like that... it was bait. It was trying to draw her out. As Azula tried to think of what to do next, a bone chilling voice split the air and almost drove her to her knees.

_**"Tell**__** me **__**P**__**rincess of **__**F**__**ire, are you here for **__**M**__**e, or for this."**_

It didn't wait for an answer. Without another word, it threw Yu down the mountainside. His body sailed through the air past Azula's hiding spot and bounced off a rocky outcrop. There was a loud crack as his left knee bent in the wrong direction.

Without thinking, she jumped from her hiding spot but didn't get ten feet before having to retreat as a series of fireballs exploded just in front of her. She could only watch helplessly as Yu rolled off the outcropping and landed several feet below on another rock shelf, another loud crack accompanying his landing. Azula cringed at the new bend in his left arm and his body came to rest precariously close to the edge and the lava flowing about ten feet below.

She bit her lip. How was she supposed to fight this thing, or even get to Yu? She didn't even have a way to attack it, but then she remembered something. Looking at Yu's broken body lying in a slump on the rocks, she remembered another of his injuries, one she'd given him that night on the cliff. This thing may be fire proof but it wasn't immune to lightning.

She took a deep breath and steadied herself. She began the motion, swinging her arms wide, building energy, pulling it apart, than in an instant bring it crashing back together. She threw herself out from behind the boulder and let loose a torrent of energy from her fingertips and as soon as it left, she was off toward Yu. Her shot was right on the mark, but it didn't connect. A column of white hot fire erupted from the lava flow all around the Kaji, completely engulfing the fire spirit's new body and extending high into ash clouds swirling above. The lightning bolt hit the column, and, attracted to the heat, twisted around it and followed it up. The Kaji had learned its own way to redirect lightning.

Azula made it to Yu in a matter of seconds. He was in terrible condition, but still breathing, if only just. Unfortunately, there was no time to be gentle. He moaned in pain as she threw his good arm over her shoulder and tried to heft him up, and that's when she saw it out of the corner of her eye. Blue and white spasms of light flashed above her, the electric energy of her lightning bolt coursed and crackled through the ash, building in power as it drew even more energy from the statically charged cloud. It was using the volcano to redirect her attack. She met eyes with the Kaji's burning sockets.

_**"I have no more time for you. The others are here, and he requires my full attention."**_

It lifts a hand and points at them.

There was no time to think, she could only react. Azula turned just as the hairs lifted on the back of her neck, and threw Yu out of the way, leaving herself in the bolts' path.

There was a flash of light.

A moment of pain.

And then... _nothing. _


	45. Chapter 44: Nagohda's Journey

**Chapter 44**

_Nagohda's Journey_

"Move or I swear I'll shoot right through you!"

Yu had never seen anything like it. Blue trails of crackling energy spit from Azula's fingertips, licking the air as she swung her hands around in a wide arc. He was terrified, but didn't budge an inch. He couldn't let her do this.

"If you kill the Fire Lord they'll execute you!"

There was a half second when Azula paused, that Yu felt a fleeting glimmer of hope that maybe his words had gotten through to her. For that one brief moment, the guarded mask she wore eroded away exposing the raw pain fueling her confusion. Then, as though having an argument with an unseen voice, she shook it off and raised her finger to his chest.

"I don't care."

"I DO!"

Time slowed, their eyes met, and the bolt went wild, almost missing Yu. _Almost._

It was like getting punched in the spirit. His whole body clenched then fell. He reached out and tried to catch himself, but when his knee and hand hit the ground, it suddenly felt as though this was happening to someone else and that he was only watching from a distance. Like looking through the wrong end of a spyglass, he saw his hand clenching the ground suddenly pull away. Then he was falling, looking up to a fading reality as he tumbled down a well. Then something dark and cold and terrible pushed through him and with it a terrible swarm of emotions that, for a moment, Yu couldn't separate from his own. Cold and lonely and desperate, an overwhelming feeling of abandonment suddenly gave way to a rage and resentment so overwhelming to the limitations of a human mind that, had Yu been in control of his own body at that moment, he would have torn himself apart.

Then, just as quickly as this terrible entity entwined itself to push through him, it was gone, leaving Yu behind to fall into darkness as it rushed to claim his reality. He tried to warn Azula, yelled at her to run, but it was too late. As he watched the precipice of reality sink into the abyss, the last thing he saw was his own hand wrapping around her throat.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Strange at first, but slowly familiar, like reading a book only to slowly realize you've read it before. Yu found memories seeping in from the fringe, and like a long forgotten book, with every page he turned, the memory of the story becomes clearer and clearer, until he could remember the whole thing without having to go on.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

"Hey! There you are."

Nagohda looked over his shoulder and saw his best friend, Sangok, running up the slope toward him. The footsteps crunching in the snow came to a stop behind him. Sangok caught his breath. "Come on man, you're gonna be late for class again and you know how Mater Pakku gets."

Nagohda shrugged and kept looking out over the ocean. "Eh, that's alright. Think I'll skip today."

Sangok shook his head. This really had nothing to do with their waterbending lessons and they both knew it. Nagohda had spent every day since his father's death sitting on this frozen cliff and staring out into the ocean. At first Sangok gave him his space, but as the weeks dragged on, Sangok became increasingly worried. He dropped all pretense and sat down next to Nagohda.

"Look, I don't really know what you're going through, but I'm worried about you. We all are. Even Pakku was asking about his number one student."

That elicited a smile, but that was about it. Number one student? Yeah, if you were counting from the bottom up. Sangok continued, "I'm terrible with this kind of thing, so I'll just say it. You can't keep doing this to yourself. All this moping around isn't good for you. I don't care what you do, but you've got to do something. Keep moving forward. The pain's not going to go away if all you do is sit around and think about it."

"How am I supposed to not think about it?" Nagohda asked.

"I didn't say you needed to stop thinking about it, but that's _all_ your doing. Just sitting here day after day, staring at the ocean and crushing yourself with it. Is this what your dad would want?"

Nagohda flinched, but that was all. Sangok was hoping for a stronger reaction. Having nothing left to say, he sighed, stood up and brushed the snow off his leggings. "Tell you what, I'll give you today, that's it. Figure it out and do something, anything! Because if I come back tomorrow and you're still here, we'll practice waterbending whether you like it or not cause I'm gonna use it to kick your butt.

Sangok left without saying another word. Nagohda, angry at first, sat for a while longer, mulling over what his friend had told him. He knew Sangok was right. He'd reached that conclusion himself awhile ago. The real problem was motivation. Depression was easy, and wallowing in it held a certain comfort, and that comfort was addicting, and it made putting effort into anything else that much more difficult. Even thinking about the effort seemed like too much effort.

"_Figure it out and do something, anything!"_

Nagohda stood up, took one last look at the ocean, then headed back home.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Nagohda sat in his father's workshop with a rolled up set of woodworking chisels bundled on the workbench in front of him. His father had given them to him as a gift years ago, and they'd been his father's for years before that. They weren't fancy, or expensive, or even particularly well made. They were a spare set his father bought so he wouldn't have to sully his finer tools on junky wood, as his father put it. So when it came time for Nagohda to receive his first set to practice with, his father had given him these. As the years moved, and his skills improved, he started buying his own tools and even his own set of chisels much finer than these, but to this day these were still Nagohda's favorites because of what they meant to him.

He unrolled the set, and slipped one from its sleeve. Turning it over in his hand he spun in his chair and looked over the unfinished two man sloop they'd been making together with plans of sailing around the Earth Kingdom. It was a crazy idea, and had had his mother worried to death, but Nagohda was looking forward to it. They'd actually been close to finishing when the sea claimed his father.

He lifted the chisel to eye level and looked down its blade, lining it up with the centerline of the ship.

"All right dad," he said out loud to the chisel, "let's finish this thing."

. . . . . . . . . . . .

The sun hadn't even cracked the horizon when Nagohda slipped away from the Northern Watertribe. He felt guilty. He hadn't told anyone he was leaving and only left his mother a note. He knew they'd all try to stop him from going, especially his mother, but he needed to do this. He looked at his home one last time, a soft spire of gray silhouetted against the night sky and held aloft by inky black water. He wouldn't be seeing it again for a while. He bowed goodbye, asked the spirits their protection and to watch over his mother while he was gone, then turned his attention to the boat.

Sails set to the wind, and course clear, he waved his hands in a circular motion and sent the boat coursing on its journey.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

As he wrote the note, he hoped and wondered if any were actually getting back to his mother. He didn't have much money, and what little he did had to be strictly conserved, so by that necessity every letter was sent by cheapest possible courier. Which meant about a third would never arrive and the ones that did would do so whenever. Really, as long as she'd gotten any, that's all that counted. He just wanted her to know he was ok, and that the trip was going well.

He'd left two months ago, and progress was steady, better, in fact, than he'd expected. If everything kept going as well as it had, he should be home in another few weeks, possibly a month at the most.

_ ...During the day, I'll find somewhere to dock my boat and set up camp out of sight. There's plenty of rivers and little islands and forests and alcoves and things like that all along the coast, so finding somewhere to hide during the day shouldn't be a problem._

_ I love you mom, and I'll be home soon._

_ -Naghoda_

He let the ink dry and was about to roll it up when he decided to add an aside about the comet he'd heard about from some of the locals... Then decided that maybe he'd spring for a messenger hawk. Just this once, just to make sure she'd get this before the comet.

With that done, he rolled it, sealed it, gave it to the postmaster, then headed out of town.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

The sun was starting to peak over the horizon and Nagohda was in dangerous waters. At this point in his journey, he was as close to the Fire Nation as he would get. True to what he'd told his mother, he started looking for a place to hide his boat. Lowering the mainsail, he secured it to the boom then reeled in the jib. After that it was all water bending. Pushing the boat close to shore, he took a moment to admire the landscape. A forest lay before him - Wulong forest, according to his map, but that was not what caught his attention. Beyond it laid another forest of stone stacks, tall and spindly and beautiful to behold, though he could only take it in for a few minutes. The sun was already up and he needed to make camp.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

He maneuvered far enough up river as to be well beyond being spotted by any ship passing on the sea. Better safe than sorry. Of course the reverse was also true. He'd moved so far up river, that when a giant lion turtle appeared a few hours later to drop off Avatar Aang on shore, Nagohda had no idea such a monumental event was happaning just under a mile away as he finished setting up camp. What happened next wouldn't be so easy to miss.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Normally, he'd already be asleep in preparation for the nights travel, but he'd stayed up to watch the comet pass overhead, hoping his mother was watching it as well. That was at least something they could share while being this far apart. When it finally did, it was beautiful and awe inspiring. Then, in its wake, came something much less so. He'd never seen anything like it before. Giant red and black ships slipping through air, about a dozen of them, flying in a V formation, trailing far behind a single lead ship. As it approached, Nagohda put out his fire and ran into the woods for cover, hoping that whoever they were wouldn't notice the small sailboat banked on shore below, or at least, if they did, they wouldn't care. With any luck, they'd just pass on by. Nagohda held his breath and watched as the lead ship, far more ornate than the others with a gold dragon crowning its prow, passed by overhead. He watched it cross the over river without slowing down and sighed in relief. Then he watched in stunned horror as the sky became a waterfall made of fire.

The forest across the river disappeared in a sea of flames. A rolling tsunami of fire washed across the surface of the river. The intense heat forced Nagohda further back into the woods while it consumed his camp and boat. He had no time to lament his loss as the flames now licked at his heels and he tore through woods, racing the wild animals in a mad dash to safety. It was the longest minute of his life, and even though he'd put the fire behind him, he still kept running, knowing that it would quickly catch him if he didn't. Somewhere far behind, he heard a large explosion, even over the roaring of the flames, but he didn't look back to see what it was, because now something else had his attention. He'd forgotten about them in his mad dash to get away from the first airship, but there they were - the other airships, slowly approaching from the sea. Naghoda didn't even have time to collect his thoughts before a new wave of fire was chasing toward him, cutting off his escape to the sea and forcing him back from whence he came. Pinned down with nowhere to go, he was overwhelmed with a raw animal panic. Legs pounding and lungs on fire, he chased the stream of forest critters fleeing just as he was, hoping they knew were to go. From both directions fire closed in around him as he tried to survive in a slowly shrinking sliver. Even when he couldn't see, even when his lungs filled with smoke, the unbridled inhuman panic drove his body in a desperate unwinnable grasp at survival. The smoke took its toll before the fire ever could. The world pitched, rolled and spun. Nagohda crashed to the forest floor, unconscious before he even hit the ground, and, in perhaps the only kindness the universe would show him that day, was already dead by the time the flames consumed his body.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

There was tug, slight at first, like a pet pawing for attention, but now like a predator tearing at him. He could feel heat all around him, but most notably at his throat. Then, a sensation of floating, and a jarring explosion of pain. He would have yelled out in pain, but still felt trapped beneath a sheet of ice. Beating at it, screaming for help, desperate to escape. Again, another strike of pain, like someone shoving a sword through his arm. This time, he could tell where it came from. A few moments later, he could feel his body picked up from the ground. It was like fighting a dream that wouldn't let him go. He tried to make a sound, to call out to whoever was there, but all he heard himself do was moan. Reality was just out of reach, just on the other side of the ice, but he couldn't break through. A flash of light, another eruption of pain... then a crack in the ice.

He felt something slump on top of him. Close, warm, he reached out for it and heard himself scream. That did the trick. The ice shattered, he swum for the surface, and finally, he was awake. The pain shooting through his arm was so intense; he almost passed out again, but fought to stay conscious. Forcing his eyes open, he found himself face to face with a very warm rock. He was lying on his left arm, and by the look of his right, he could tell it was broken up past the elbow. That explained the pain. What it didn't explain was what in the moonspirit's name was he doing on a volcano!? He tried to roll over, only to have another torrent of pain explain to him that his arm wasn't his only broken bone. Though all that fell to the wayside when he discovered what he was trapped under.

It was Azula, and she wasn't breathing.

Nagohda's heart caught in his throat. Barely able to form the sound, he called her name and it came out a weak croak. She didn't respond, didn't move, nothing at all. Adrenaline washed away the pain of his broken limbs. He twisted underneath and sat up, cradling her head to his chest with his one good arm. There was no heartbeat, no nothing.

"No, no, please no."

Tears landed like little raindrops on her lifeless face. Nagohda screamed her name, begged her to wake up, shook her, held her, then screamed some more. At last he started calling for help, begging the universe for this one favor. Please, please I can't lose someone else.

Oblivious to its presence, Kaji, standing just above him, looked down on Nagohda and decided to answer this limited creature's call for mercy in the only way it knew how. A small sphere of flame spun into existence in its hand. Burning with a heat so intense, a halo of plasma ionized out of the air around it, the Fire Spirit held out its hand and unleashed its fury at the wallowing mortal standing below. Nagohda felt the air quiver around him, and turned when he heard the terribly familiar roar of fire closing in on him. It was a horrific moment of déjà vu, watching a sea of fire spill down toward him, but this time he was in no condition to try and outrun it, and wouldn't have tried even if he cold. An unknown number of days ago, he'd made Azula a promise in a cave. He said he wouldn't leave her.

He held her head to his chest and closed his eyes.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Aang, Zuko and the rest of the group made their way cautiously across the island, not knowing how pointless the effort really was. The kaji was fully aware of their presence, and had been for a while now. The only reason it hadn't gone to attack them the moment they arrived was because it still needed time to expel the impurity, and Katara was the first to feel the side effects. She could feel her connection to the moon spirit the moment Kaji tore Nagohda from himself. Katara effortlessly swirled some water from her canteen. Unfortunately for Katara's excitement, that wasn't a good thing.

Freedom from the waterbender's shell also meant freedom from the moon spirit's influence... and its restrictions.

However, before she could say anything to Aang, who, at this point, realized it as well, the attention of everyone on the slab, excluding Toph, was drawn skyward. A massive column of fire, wrapped in lightning, was pouring itself into the clouds of ash swirling above them. Even Toph, without being able to see it, could tell something big was happening. She could feel it in the rocks.

"What's going on?" she yelled to the others.

"I think we just got an invitation," Zuko answered before exchanging a nod with Aang, "C,mon, let's go!"

Aang yelled back to Toph, "You push, I'll steer!" Then they were off, racing around the volcano's base, tearing toward the source. Careening around a jutting mass of cooled magma, they arrived just in time to find something none of them expected, followed by something none of them could believe.

"Is that?" Sokka squinted at the two people-shaped dots far up the slope.

"Azula!?" Zuko said, mixed amongst equally bewildered reactions made even more confusing by her apparently being draped in a naked man. Then from farther up the slope came the attack. There was no time to react, and they were too far away to do anything even if there was.

The blink of an eye and a blue flash later, Azula, cruel, twisted, selfish Azula, collapsed in a smoking heap on top of the man she'd just sacrificed herself to save.

"NO!" Zuko screamed just as the volcano sprung to life. All around them lava sprung to life, twisting up and splashing down around them. Aang was already in the Avatar state, blocking the onslaught and deflecting the attack. It was coming in from everywhere and Aang shot up on a plume of air to get a better look at their attacker. The Kaji, bending and twisting the Volcano to its will, stood further up the slope from where Azula lay and even from here Aang could see movement. At least one of them was still alive. A blast of volcanic gases erupted in front of him, obscuring his view. He blasted it away and was plagued with a sudden flashback of Roku's death. Looking down at his friends, he called out in a hundred voices.

"This is now a rescue mission. I'll distract it, you get up there."

Aang shot off on a column of air before anyone could object. He needed to draw attention not only away from them, but from who he suspected to be Nagohda as well so Katara could do her work. Lava erupted beneath, Aang slammed it back down into the flow easy enough but it felt strange, almost like trying to bend a living thing. More attacks came his way as he zipped across the mountainside, drawing the Kaji's attention.

For all Aang was doing, dividing Kaji's attention was proving difficult. They had to fight for every inch, and Toph also found that pushing through the lava was almost like trying to bend a living thing. As they drew in closer, Katara could see someone else moving on the slab, the person Azula had just saved. She called out Nagohda's name, assuming that's who it was but didn't get a response. He seemed far too preoccupied with Azula. Then a wave of lava rose up and solidified just in front of them, the slab came skidding to a halt. Toph dug her feet in and pushed against the wall but it didn't budge.

"C'mon, Toph, we gotta get up there!" Sokka said.

"I'm trying, but it's fighting back!"

Elsewhere, Aang was having similar problems. Redirecting the explosive blasts of lava, belching gases and searing heat was getting more difficult by the moment. Something was definitely wrong and Aang was beginning to suspect something terrible. Just then, a column of lava erupted beneath him. He tried to stop it, but it wrapped around him and pulled him under. With a hefty blast of airbending, Aang instantly cooled the sphere of lava around him, keeping himself protected inside the shell momentarily. He pooled his strength, gathered his energy, then, as he was about to bust out, sensed something.

No one saw Aang get swallowed up and pulled under the lava. Back on the surface, they were dealing with their own problems. Toph struggled but the wall of living lava wouldn't budge.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon. Move already!" She gritted her teeth and dug her toes into the hard rock of the slab. Behind the wall, Nagohda was oblivious to anything other than Azula and the only thing that pulled his attention away from that was when the Kaji, having momentarily incapacitated all other rescue efforts, turned his attention back to the two flesh shells sitting in front of him. One was dealt with, now for the other. A sphere of fire leapt to life in its hand.

Underneath the lava, Aang drew a deep breath, closed his eyes, placed a hand on the hot surface of the cooled lava sphere and allowed himself to feel out his surroundings. Like getting hit with a spark of electricity, Aang yanked his hand from the wall. Sure of what he felt, he knew that his suspicion was right. What they saw standing up on the surface wasn't Kaji's new form; it was just a small part. The Kaji was spreading its form into the volcano itself. The volcano was its new body.

This was bad.

Reaching down and pulling on the strength of a thousand lifetimes, Aang exploded out of the lava with a whirlwind of fire, rock and air swirling around him like a raging typhoon. Kaji felt part of its own body tear open and momentarily lost its focus. The wall Toph was fighting split open to reveal a wall of fire cascading down on them. Toph shot the slab forward, punched the ground beneath her with both hands, felt the earth tremble even through the molten magma and pulled up her wall just in time to shield Azula and Nagohda. The fire spilled around it, missing the two of them, but continued washing down hill toward Toph and the others. Zuko took lead, jumping in front of Toph, commanding his men to follow his lead, and split the flames around them.

Bursting through the fire, their slab collided with Nagohda's outcropping and the lot of them jumped off and ran over to him and Azula. With the relief of their arrival, the adrenaline rush that had been sustaining Nagohda and keeping the pain at bay ran its course. Nagohda's eyes rolled up and he fall back on the slab, Azula still on top of him. Zuko fell to his knees next to his sister, picked her up and checked for any signs of life. With Nagohda lying there, now completely exposed and nude as the day he was born, Sokka wrapped his hands around Katara and Toph's eyes.

Katara elbowed him, "Not the time Sokka!"

Toph just shook her head, "Really, Sokka, really?"

Ty Lee was behind Zuko, looking over his shoulder at Azula.

"Is she..."

"Not breathing," Zuko said, shaking her and calling her name.

Katara was already checking on Nagohda, rolling a handful of water over his chest. She didn't need it to tell her his arm and leg were broken. That was obvious, but she could use it to sense anything else, and what she felt wasn't good. Several ribs were also broken, and he was bleeding internally. Badly.

"Katara, is there anything you can do?" Zuko asked, holding his sister's lifeless body in his arms. Zuko was holding himself together, better than Ty Lee, but only barely. Katara could see he was on the verge of tears. Despite all the pain she'd caused him, it was still his sister.

"Zuko, I..." Wait a minute, she thought.

She reached up and felt the twine around her neck. Then, she reached into her shirt, pulling out the vial of spirit water they'd gotten from the North Pole. He hesitated for a second. She knew the spirit water was a powerful healing agent, but it could also be a powerful weapon against spiritual enemies. This might be the only chance they had at beating this creature...

Kaji, still reeling from Aang's outburst, quickly pulled the extent of its spirit back into its smaller humanoid body. It was doing too much too fast. Deal with the Avatar first, then continue with the plan. It had waited an eternity for this; a few more moments wouldn't matter. Kaji readied itself as Aang shot toward it.

Even without Kaji directly controlling it, the volcano was quickly becoming more and more agitated. Toph dug in her toes and felt out the surrounding area, doing whatever she needed to keep the more violent lava flows turned away. It wasn't easy. It had taken long enough to figure out sand bending, and this was even worse. How did Katara deal with something so liquidy? The firebenders did what they could as well while Zuko held Azula.

Katara, still struggling with her decision, explained it to Zuko. Not just that it was a weapon, but that even if she did use it to heal someone, there was only enough for one person, and Nagohda wouldn't last much longer without it. It took Zuko a second to absorb it all, but he understood.

Zuko closed his eyes. Between a weapon to save the world, helping an innocent, or saving Azula... he didn't need to ask where his sister ranked in priority. Despite what they'd just witnessed, one good deed didn't erase all the others. The only choice now was between saving Nagohda or using it against the Kaji.

"Whatever you're gonna do, do it fast sweetheart!" Toph yelled at Katara. Keeping the rampaging lava at bay was getting more difficult by the second. Katara looked up the slope. The Kaji was on the move, exchanging blows with Aang. Lava blasted up all around, Aang waved them away. He seemed to have it on the run, chasing it further up the volcano, meeting eyes with Zuko.

"It's your choice Katara," Zuko said.

Katara nodded and held the vial up over Nagohda. She slipped her finger around the cap and started twisting it open when a hand shot up and snatched it away from her. Nagohda fell back to the ground, hand over his head and holding the vial of spirit water out over the edge of the slab. His hand was shaking so badly it was a miracle he could even keep hold of it. He was in intense pain and holding himself just this side of consciousness was taking everything he had left in him.

"Here's your choice," Nagohda said, straining just to form the words, "You use it on her, or it goes in the lava!"

Katara could have taken it back easily. Either with waterbending or just by snatching it away, but she didn't. Nor did Katara bother arguing with him. In the moment they locked eyes, she understood everything she needed too. She nodded and gently took the vial out of his hands. His eyes rolled closed, but he forced himself to stay awake, to listen.

Katara moved quickly, rolling Azula over to find the wound. It was worse than she expected. The armor plate covering the back of her left shoulder was completely disintegrated and the burn underneath was much worse than Aang's. She rolled the spirit water over it, working it into the wound, binding it with the negative energy bound within it, trying to pull it away. Over and over again, she could feel the spirit completely saturating, and for a moment worried that perhaps she had just wasted it. There was just too much damage, again and again, she pulled and pushed, energy in energy out. She was about to give up, when Azula coughed, inhaled a ragged breath and her heart started beating.

A smile spread across Nagohda's lips and he finally allowed himself to succumb to unconsciousness.

Ty Lee started laughing and hugging Zuko from behind. Mai hugged them both. Even Sokka was a little teared up, but it was Katara that put a stop to it all.

"No time to celebrate yet, I've still got another patient to save. Toph, get us out of here and back to the ship as fast as you can!"

"You got it, sister!"

"Sokka, hold Nagohda still."

"Oh, but... I mean... ew," Sokka said, looking down at the naked man.

"Sokka! Shut up and do it!" Katara demanded just before the slab wrenched free and went speeding down to the shore.

Aang chased Kaji up the slope, the attacks it was throwing back seemed only designed to slow him down, not actually stop him. Aang zoomed up behind it, floating in a sphere of air. Throwing his hand out and squeezing it into a fist, a wall of magma wrenched up and stopped its escape, but not for long. Kaji ran straight into the wall. Laying its hand on it, the entire thing burst apart instantly into a sea of lava. The kaji was consumed by it, and Aang had to split it around him. When it cleared, Aang saw Kaji pulling itself out of the lava at the rim of the volcanoes broiling caldera. It turned and looked at Aang. A red crease spread like a splitting magma seam across its otherwise featureless face, forming into a grotesque, garish smile.

Aang came to a stop, hovering just before Kaji.

"We don't have to fight like this," Aang pleaded with the chorus of eons of voices.

Kaji's grin widened. _**"You are correct. This would go easier if you did not try and stop me. I promise to make this world's death as painless as I can."**_

"Why!?" Aang demanded, clenching his fists, "Why are you doing this?"

_**"I have pondered a great many ways to my goal, lifetimes spent searching for a solution and only one presents itself. I will end this world because it is the only way."**_

"The only way for what!? What are talking about!? You're not making any sense!"

_** "Nothing I say will bring understanding to a being of such finite existence. Even one such as yourself, limited by a cycle of death and rebirth, lost to you is the comprehension of times true horror and as such I have no need to waste any more of it."**_

Kaji spread its arms and fell backward into the caldera, falling several hundred feet until splashing into the churning, broiling lava far below. Aang was about to chase it down, catch it somehow, bring it back and make it talk, force the spirit to make sense, but he never got the chance. The moment Kaji splashed beneath the waves of liquid earth, the volcano erupted with such force that the sides of the caldera tore apart, collapsed inward, and started quickly spreading outward, like the mountain was eating itself alive. Aang barely escaped, shooting away as fast as he could, evading geysers of gas and fissures of lava tearing the volcano apart. It was like the mouth of the world opening up to swallow the sky.

Aang's speed increased, and he was relieved to find his friends already gone from their previous spot. Toph must have been moving fast, since she left a bee-line trench torn through the magma field, so finding them was easy.

"Aang, what's going on!?" Zuko yelled as he landed on the slab next to them, but with Armageddon just on their tail, he didn't have time to explain. Helping Toph push, they zoomed to the boat as fast as they could. Finding it wasn't easy. In short order the sky had become blacker than midnight. Ash blocked out the sun in every direction, and the cloud was spreading fast. Aang grabbed his staff still leaning against the main gangplank where he'd left it, and clicked it against the ground to open the wings.

"You guys go. I've gotta go find Appa!"

Katara grabbed his arm before he could fly off.

"Katara I'll be fine, I..." She shut him up with a hard kiss on the mouth.

"Just come back in one piece alright."

They exchanged one last look. Aang nodded, then shot up into the air. Everyone watched as he disappeared, separating the ash clouds and slipping between them while blowing his air bison whistle.

Katara turned away from the clouds a few seconds after Aang disappeared into them and looked down at her patients.

"All right, we need to get Nagohda..."

A building sized chunk of volcanic ejecta crashed into the ship's deck, crushing it in two. Acting quickly, Toph covered the group in a dome of earth. Debris clattered and smashed against its surface, the sound inside was deafening and most everyone but Toph (whose feet were bound in the rock) and Ty Lee (who absorbed the fall by twisting into a cartwheel), fell over from explosive jarring beneath their feet. Toph peeled back the dome.

The ship was gone. Nothing left but useless scraps of metal.

"Aang!" Sokka yelled to the clouds.

"No time!" Katara interrupted her brother. With the noise and ash from the volcano, Aang couldn't possibly know what just happened. Katara ran to the ocean and bent the water to form a large sheet of ice. It was a struggle just to maintain it. Lava spilled of the island and boiled the water around it.

"Hurry up!" she yelled to the others, urging them to the ice slab. Apprehensive, but with little other choice, they all started to pile on. Just then, an airship swept in from nowhere, breaking in through the ash and practically slamming into the shore. The loading plank fell open and crashed into the rocks, screeching as it jostled about, trying to maintain stability without landing. Gou looked down the plank and yelled louder than the roaring mountain.

"I've been circling this stupid island for an hour looking for you lot. Thank the spirits that whatever the heck just blew up led me right to yah! Now stop gawking and get yer butts on board! I aint' here for the scenery!"

At this very moment, the overly talkative mechanic was Zuko's favorite person in the entire world. They hurried aboard and as soon as the last foot cleared the plank, Gou was already raising it and giving the order to get airborne. As the ship lurched into the air, Katara was busy securing her patients. Azula was brought to a bunk, and Nagohda the one next to her. Katara wanted them secured, and started barking orders at Mai, Ty Lee and Zuko, telling them to look for anything they could tie them down with.

Toph walked in, pushed her aside, then ripped long metal finger of steel out of the ship's floor and wrapped the beds with them.

"There, you can thank me later," she said leaving the room and quickly following behind Sokka and Suki up to the bridge.

Ty Lee, Mai and Zuko stayed in the room as well. Zuko and Ty Lee for Azula, and Mai for Zuko. Katara paid the princess little attention; it was Nagohda she was worried about. He wouldn't last long in this condition and last thing she wanted to do after giving his mother so much hope was to crush it. She was about to get to work when a fireball exploded alongside the ship, shattering the room's window and spraying everyone inside in a shower of glass.

Aang tore through the clouds, moving as fast as he possibly could, blowing his Bison whistle the entire time. Below him the volcano became more enraged by the second. Lighting cascaded through the clouds, adding yet another obstacle to avoid alongside the ever increasing plumes of gas, ash, lava spouts and boulder-sized ejecta hurling through the air. Aang blew his whistle again, barrel rolling to avoid another boiling hot chunk of rock. Growing in despair, he blew again and the only response was the growl of the Volcano.

No, wait? That wasn't the volcano. Aang blew the whistle once more and in response he heard it again. Appa's bellow. He was close. Shooting forward, Aang plunged through the clouds toward the sound.

The Fire Lords ship sped through the ash, but the volcanoes growing fury was quickly chasing them down. Balls of fire grazed the ship, the propellers slogged through the ash and air bladders threatened to split from the corrosive atmosphere building around it. A single lightning strike would take the ship out of the air with ease. Reluctantly, Gou opened a pipe and addressed the ship.

"I need benders at the blast furnaces, and prayers in the air. Get whatever blessing you can from whatever spirit you favor, then strap in, buckle down an hold onto yer butts! We're about to see what this thing can do!" Gou slapped closed the clasp over the tube and made his way to the first blast furnace. He wasn't a bender himself, but he'd give the order to start. Everyone was in place and Gou took a deep breath. He really hoped this worked like it was supposed to. He nodded to the bender to start the sequence.

Katara, Zuko, Mai, and Ty Lee where just recovering from the shower of glass when Gou's announcement came through the pipes. They all shared a smattering of cuts, but nothing serious. Katara ignored it and went back to work, but found that the worst casualty was her waterskin. Water seeped out from several tiny cuts, luckily she could just lift it up off the floor and use it anyway. She had to work out some dirt, hair and other junk, but got water clean enough to work with. Wrapping her hands, she walked over to Nagohda, just in time to be thrown against the wall when the first furnace went off. Not even Gou was ready for the jolt. The ship jumped like it was falling off a cliff and barely a crew member was able to keep on their feet. The ship stressed, its metal structure whined, screamed and screeched, but so far everything held. The ship split through the air, twice as fast as any airship had ever dared to go, but still no closer to escaping the volcanoes wrath. The speed bought by the first furnace only extended their lifespan by a few moments. Gou steadied himself and got to his feet then gave the command to ignite blast furnace two and three.

Mai, Zuko and Ty Lee were a bundle in the corner, and Katara lay head over heels against the same wall. At least this time, when the second two boilers went off, they were already pressed against a wall with nowhere left to go. Up in the wheelhouse, Toph was pressed into the first officer's chair, much to the chagrin of the first officer who'd been sitting there before she'd slammed into him, although Toph was more concerned with not covering them both in puke. Sokka clawed at the back of the same chair, holding on for dear life with Suki wrapped around his waist.

Then, behind the quickly moving ship arose something even worse. A wall of fire was now rolling out from Crescent Island at breakneck speed, consuming even the ash cloud, or at least pushing it out of the way as it rolled up behind the ship. As fast as they were moving wasn't fast enough. Gou screamed into the hallway, yelling at his men to ignite the remaining furnaces.

"The ship'll fly apart!" one of the engineers yelled back.

"Then fly it apart ya damn fool, were dead either way!" Gou screamed back.

The last three went off in unison. The stress to the ship caused every window to either crack or blow out completely. Toph lost her battle and painted herself, the first officer, Sokka and Suki in several shades of gross.

Across the ship, rivets ripped free, beams bent and bulkheads buckled. The ship screamed forward, raining scraps of metal into the ocean below while staying just ahead of Crescent Island's erupting curtain of fire, until finally it chased them no more. The wall abated and the ship shot clear, but the stress was too much. Just before Gou ordered the furnaces shut down, one of the ships two main air bladders ripped free, tearing a large chunk of the ships superstructure away with it. The ship pitched down and rolled thirty degrees to starboard, throwing everyone to the wall and almost out windows that were no longer there.

The ship fell from the sky. The single air bladder couldn't carry the weight and also threatened to rip free. Plowing into the ocean, they hit the water like a brick wall. Katara and everyone else in the room not secured to a bed went flying across it and slammed against the opposite wall. Several crew members, including Toph, went flying out the front window and straight into the water. Sokka saw her fly away and reached for her hand but missed. The ship, not meant for the ocean, rolled to the side, and water started rushing in the windows. Sokka watched as some crewmen came washing back into the ship, but Toph wasn't among them. She was out in the ocean, and she couldn't swim. Sokka and Suki both dove into the water, swam out of the ship and started looking for her.

In the patient's room, Katara pulled herself out of the pile of Mai, Zuko and Ty Lee just as the boat pitched to the side and started filling with water. Katara screamed for Toph. Nagohda and Azula were still clamped to the bed with metal bands. She yanked at the band but it wouldn't budge. The others tried helping her, but it was no good. She ran back to the hallway and screamed for Toph again but still didn't get an answer. She yelled for her brother. Nothing.

Franticly, she started slicing at the metal with her waterbending but it was too thin and she didn't have time. Water was already up to the mattresses and in less than a minute would cover their heads. Without Toph, Azula and Nagohda where going down with the ship.


	46. Chapter 45: In Troubled Waters

**Chapter 45**

_In Troubled Waters_

Rolling clouds of boiling ash spilled into the air so thick it felt like being trapped at the bottom of a gray ocean. Even in the Avatar state, Aang was having trouble pushing through it. It wasn't just the thickness of it, but just like when he'd fought the volcano down below, the ash itself had a semblance of life to it. He wasn't just trying to bend an inanimate element, but something that could fight back, and it was getting tougher by the second. He blew the bison whistle again. Appa's bellow was faint but closer. Aang zeroed in on his direction and shot through the clouds.

Appa was barely holding himself in the air anymore. Every ounce of the sky bison's airbending ability was being used to keep the small sphere of air surrounding him clear. Momo's little paws and tail were wrapped tightly around one of Appa's horns, not daring to fly out into the abrasive cloud himself. When Aang came bursting through the ash, Appa bellowed in relief. Still in the Avatar state, Aang landed on Appa and took to holding the ash back so Appa could focus his energy on getting out of there.

Aang pulled at the sky bison's reigns and directed him back toward the ship. He knew the others would probably need his help as well, but finding them was an even bigger issue than finding Appa as the ship wasn't likely to answer to the bison whistle. Knowing searching for them through the ash would take too long, Aang got an idea. Under Aang's direction, he directly into the water as Aang parted it and waterbent a giant bubble around them. It would be much easier to see the ship's prow cutting through the waves from beneath rather than try to spot it through the ash above. However, once he cut into the water and began his search, panic quickly gripped him as he watched a wall of fire roll out over the water above him.

. . . . . . . . .

Sokka plunged under the waves, searching franticly, eyes wide open despite the sting of the salt. Suki plunged into the ocean as well, twisting all around, looking all around for the diminutive earth bender.

Zuko wrenched at the steel holding his sister to the bed. Ty Lee and Mai added their strength but to no avail. The steel bands wouldn't budge.

"Get out of here!" Katara urged, "I can keep the water back for a while, but you'll just use up more air if you stay!"

"Katara, are you..." Zuko started to protest, but Katara cut him off with a wave of her hand. The water was rushing in quickly and there wasn't any time to argue.

"Go!" she yelled, sealing the windows with a thick coating of ice to keep more water from rushing in, but it wasn't nearly enough to keep the ship from being pulled down.

Zuko didn't argue any further, and the three of them made their way out the door and across the hallway to the windows that were still above the waterline. Zuko stopped for a second and looked towards Azula. The moment wasn't lost on Katara, and while she couldn't possibly understand everything he was going through, especially after what they'd just seen, his biggest worry was plain on his face.

"I'll do everything I can. I promise. Now go!" This time it was wasn't a request, or even a demand. The door sealed over with a thick sheet of ice, giving Zuko no choice in the matter. Mai stripped off her heavy robes and jumped out the window in nothing but her underwrappings, secretly thankful that the water around a volcanic island was at least relatively warm. Zuko was the last out.

With the room momentarily sealed, Katara went back to work slicing at the metal bonds holding Nagohda and Azula to the beds. The more she struggled the more apparent it became that time wasn't on her side. Between franticly slicing at the metal and keeping the windows and doors covered with the thick sheets of ice, her heart pumped and breath quickened. With what meager progress she was making, it was already apparent that she'd run out of air long before getting both of them free.

OK. Stop. Think.

_"I've even used my own sweat for waterbending," s_he'd remembered bragging to the only other southern watertribe bender she'd ever met. If she could use that to break out of prison, what wasn't she thinking of here?

_ "That's very resourceful, Katara. You're thinking like a true master... You've got to keep an open mind, Katara," _Hama had responded while creating claws of ice on her fingertips.

Wait! Claws!

She stopped slicing at the metal and waved her hands over what unfrozen water was still sloshing around the cabin. Tentacles of water snaked up and around the metal bands, each solidifying into giant icy pointed claws like the talons of a hawk. Digging under the metal bands like hooks, a dozen fingers pulled at the bands. The metal screeched and creaked, protesting at first. Fingers of ice cracked and shattered, fighting to pull back the thick metal. Katara formed even more and pulled harder, and finally it worked. She ripped away the first band and then started on the next.

It was an arduous process, going faster than it felt but taking longer than it should. Between each strap, she had to stop and reinforce the ice around the windows and doors as it creaked and popped under the building pressure, and with each additional second the threat of implosion grew. By the time she pulled away the last strap from Nagohda's body, it was only to realize she'd pulled them out of the frying pan and dumped them squarely in the fire. She had no idea how deep, but light from the surface was little, and it was now taking most of her effort just to keep the water from rushing in and drowning them all. The only solution she could think of was risky at best: encasing both Azula and Nagohda in coffins of ice, letting the water rush in, and then sliding them out the windows and up to the surface. Though whether either would survive being deprived of oxygen, even if only for a few tens of seconds, was the problem. Azula might, Nagohda definitively wouldn't.

His body was already starting to shut down.

. . . . . . . . .

"Anything!?" Sokka yelled to Suki. The single word was all he could get out as he gasped for breath. Suki didn't even waste any on that. She just shook her head, swallowed a mouthful of air and ducked back under the water looking for Toph. Sokka, forcing down a swelling panic, drew in a breath and shot down underwater as well, only to plow face first into a giant sheet of ice rising up beneath him.

He was forced back up to the surface and as the water washed off the ice shelf Sokka rolled around holding his face. "Ow ow ow ow. What the..."

All around him, everything was being pulled up out of the ocean as a massive iceberg lifted out of the water below them, along with Suki, Zuko, Mai, Ty Lee, and every one of Zuko's crew that had been washed out with them... and Toph.

Sokka and Suki both yelled her name as they ran to her. She was lying still on the edge of the island. Sokka dropped to his knees and slid to a stop over her. He leaned down to see if she was breathing just in time to get a mouthful of water coughed in his face.

"I... hate water... even more... than flying," Toph croaked out.

In the middle of it all was glowing blue sphere of ice, that, had Sokka been paying attention to it, he would have recognized as looking exactly like the one he and his sister had found Aang in over a year ago. Splitting it open from the inside, Aang flew out, his eyes and the arrow tattoo on his head still glowing. Momo flew out past him and Appa emerged last. A last wave of his hand and the ice, creaking and popping, slowed to a stop and steadied on the water's surface.

"Where's Katara!?" Aang asked, looking around as his glow faded.

"She's still in the ship!" Zuko yelled to him.

"What? Why did you leave her!?" Sokka jumped up, throwing a look at Zuko as if he wanted to strangle him. Aang didn't even waste that much time. The ship had already slipped beneath the waves in the time he was saving everyone else. Activating the Avatar state, he floating out over the water then plunged beneath the waves.

. . . . . . . . .

Just when Katara was about to freeze Azula and Nagohda over in the only option left to her, the ship lurched to a halt. Katara fell off balance for a moment, but caught herself. A blue glow permeated through the windows and it didn't take long for her to figure out what was happening. Aang was back. She smiled to herself, overcome with relief. As the ship changed direction and started moving upward, Katara immediately went back to work on her patient. If she was going to save Nagohda, she had to stop the internal bleeding. Not an easy task. Wrapping his entire body in water save for his head, she dipped her hands in and placed them on his chest. Within seconds, the entire watery cocoon was glowing blue. Katara, already exhausted, pushed her limits and coursed her healing energy throughout his entire body all at once. She blocked out everything else around her and concentrated solely on his injuries and heartbeat. Slowly and surely, she could feel her efforts starting to work. His heartbeat grew stronger and she could feel his internal wounds starting to close.

. . . . . . . . .

A swirling whirlpool opened in the ocean next to the ice sheet Aang had made as refuge, but, against all natural laws, the ice sheet wasn't pulled towards it. Sokka, Zuko, and everyone else (save for Toph of course) watched as Aang rose from the water like a soggy phoenix with a terrible misunderstanding of its own mythology. Below him, the twisted metal scaffolding that had led out to giant bladders which now looked like the crushed and broken legs of a massive steel spider, emerged from the water first. One of the bladders, deflated, shredded and barely attached, draped sadly over the hull of the ship that followed next. Except for broken windows and a missing cargo door, the hull was mostly intact. The whirlpool closed up under the ship, then formed into swirl of ice, setting the ship straight and holding it floating above the water.

Aang held a hand out towards the ice sheet holding his friends and waved his arm to pull them over to the ship. Deactivating the Avatar state, Aang landed on the ice next to them and, without another word, the lot of them rushed inside.

Katara was practically in a trance. Nagohda's body from the neck down was surrounded in a shell of blue glowing water, which is what normally happened when Katara healed someone, but Aang had never seen her apply it like this. He didn't interrupt except to gently put his hands on her shoulders. He didn't know if she even knew he was there, but she did seem to relax slightly, her breathing calmed, but kept on healing.

Zuko checked Azula, who was doing much better than Nagohda. Her breathing was regular and while the pulse seemed weaker than normal (to the best of Zuko's guess), it was at least steady. Then there was the reassurance from Ty Lee that Azula's aura was looking much healthier than usual. Normally, Zuko would roll his eyes at such a thing, but this time it actually made him feel better. Then he left the room to look over the rest of the ship and his men. Sokka followed. Having made sure his sister was ok, it seemed he would be better used elsewhere on the ship. Besides, the whole Aang and his sister thing... still kinda weird.

Ty Lee stayed in the room and sat by Azula's bed. Mai stayed in the room for Ty Lee. Suki followed out with Sokka and Zuko to help assess the damage, and brought Toph with them as the best resource to help patch holes in the hull and, by the end of the day, be Gou's new best friend.

It was almost an hour before Katara came out of her healing haze. She hadn't even realized how much time had passed. Nagohda was finally in the clear, safe but still unconscious. Katara, completely exhausted, practically passed out in Aang's arms once she was done.

Aang, still sitting in a chair, scooted it back a bit so he could stretch out his legs. It wasn't the most comfortable position with Katara asleep and sitting on his lap, arms draped around his neck, and legs just sort of spilled off the side, but he really couldn't complain.

"Aww. That's so cute!" Ty Lee said, grabbing a blanket and wrapping it around them.

Aang blushed and whispered his thanks. Unfortunately, the moment didn't last long. Sokka came bursting into the room a short time later.

"Aang, you've gotta come see this!" he yelled. Katara practically jumped out of her skin. Mumbling and trying to form words with a mind still half full of dreams.

"What! What is it!?" Aang asked, standing up with Katara.

"Avatar level stuff!" he said, waving his arms. "I think Crescent Island just turned into the sun."

Zuko, Suki, Gou, and a few other soldiers and workers were already out on the ice when Aang and Katara arrived. At first, it looked exactly as Sokka described, a sunset sitting on the horizon were it shouldn't be; a giant undulating ball of fire sitting on the surface of the water. A telescope was being passed between them. Gou fished a darker lens from his pocket and screwed it on the scope, took another look, then handed it to Aang.

Aang looked through it and noticed that the lens Gou attached darkened the field of vision to make looking at the little sun easier. It wasn't obvious at first, but Crescent Island was still there. A slight silhouette of the mountain wavered inside the fire.

"Welp, looks like the welcome mat's been pulled in. Seems that fire fell'a o' yers' don't want no visitors. Wonder what he's got goin' on that he wants to keep everyone out?"

It took Aang a second to get what Gou was trying to say. Then he looked through the scope again and realized what he meant. From what he could tell, the island wasn't consumed in flames, just shrouded by it. Like a wall surrounding a city. Or in this case, a dome.

He threw the scope to Sokka.

"I've gotta check something," he said, clicking the end of his glider on the ice to pop out its wings. Aang shot up in the air and toward the island. Katara called after him, but he was already gone. She shook her head, and then noticed the cut on Gou's arm.

"That looks pretty bad. You want me to heal that for you?"

"Huh? What?" he said, looking down, apparently only noticing it now.

"Ah, no, that's alright girl. Pain's what let's ya know yer alive. When ya stop feeling pain, ya know yer dead," Gou smirked, confident in his wisdom.

"Or it could just mean you're not injured," Katara said with a blank look on her face.

"Huh?" Gou said.

"Not feeling pain. That could also mean you're just not injured. You know, as opposed to being dead," Katara said, still staring at him blankly.

"Oh, well, yeah. I guess there's that."

Katara rolled her eyes. Men never sound so stupid as when they're trying to be macho.

"Just let me heal your stupid arm," she said, finally winning the argument. While closing his wound, she watched Aang disappear out toward the island as Zuko and Sokka bickered about what their plans should be now.

. . . . . . . . .

Aang zipped over the top of the waves and neared the sphere of fire covering Crescent Island. Clouds of steam boiled up from where fire met water. He returned to the Avatar state, bending the steam aside. Now, hovering over the water in ball of air, Aang pushed forward toward the curtain of fire, all the while using his firebending to repel what heat he could. When he got close enough, he tried to bending the flames away but to no avail. It was just like before, when he felt the volcano was fighting against him like a physical thing; the fire itself felt alive. He wondered for a second if this was what bloodbending felt like - trying to force your will over the living tissue of another being - but it was no time to be worried about something like that. If even he couldn't push past the Kaji's defense, then the spirit would be free to grow as strong as it wanted while Aang waited powerlessly on the outside. Plunging beneath the waves, he found the fire extended impossibly down in the water. The water boiled so hot he couldn't even manage to form ice or even cool it enough to bear being under it for more than a few seconds.

He shot back up into the air, snapped out the wings of his glider and zoomed back toward the ice locked ship, just in time too.

. . . . . . . . .

"Look out!" Toph yelled just before a giant disk of rock crashed into the side of the man-made iceberg. Luckily, it landed far enough away that it didn't damage the ship or hurt anybody and the ice was thick enough to not crack under the assault. Everyone stumbled a bit, and Zuko slipped and fell as did Toph (she really hated ice).

"Fire Nation ship!" a voice boomed through a giant cone-shaped amplifier from the bridge of an Earth Kingdom warship, "You're in Earth Kingdom waters specifically against treaty. Leave immediately or be fired on again. This time, for real!"

"Those idiots!" Zuko said, "Can't they see were damaged and drifting. Not to mention we're half iceberg!"

"I don't think they care," Mai said. Zuko growled. She was right. The war wasn't long over and there was still plenty of remaining animosity between the two empires. It's not like they needed much of an excuse.

"It's not even marked. How can they tell?" Sokka motioned to the ship as Zuko tried yelling back.

"Sokka, only the Fire Nation has airships. It's not that hard to figure out," Katara answered. Despite it not looking very airship-y at the moment, it still obviously was what it was. Just then, Aang zipped past overhead and landed on the deck of the Earth Kingdom ship. No one fired rocks at him, because hopefully they at least recognized the Avatar flying through the air. Katara grabbed the telescope from Sokka and tried to see what was going on. On the deck Aang was arguing with a number of soldiers, then what looked like the Capitan approached. Things seemed to calm, but from the body language alone the conservation still seemed heated. From his pointing and arm motions it seemed he was trying to explain everything, including Crescent Island and the spirit.

She really hoped it worked, but beyond that ship, she noticed something else: little dots gathering on the horizon, more ships closing in on them. It seemed that Kaji's display of power had drawn some attention. She scanned the horizon, and the dots were not close enough to recognize. Fire Nation ships closed in from the West, while a larger gathering of Earth Kingdom ships closed in from the North and East. If Aang didn't resolve this soon, things were about to get very, very bad.

. . . . . . . . .

The world around her felt strange, although not hallucination strange (she had enough experience to know what that was like) nor was it dreamlike. Well, not exactly; it felt more substantial, more real... it just didn't _look_ that way.

"Great," Azula said, looking around her bizarre surroundings. "I thought I was done with this."

The trees stretched up, oddly clumpy, bending in wrong directions and at some parts melding together. The ground beneath her feet was wet and swampy, but she didn't sink in. Bushes of blue and purple surrounded her. Some large furry critter with insect wings and tiny antlers scurried out from a hole in one of the malformed trees and flitted away, the sound of it echoing endlessly after it left. She fought her way through some bushes and pushed into a clearing of the brightest, most vibrant, most wonderful smelling flowers she'd ever seen. Sitting in the middle of it all was a bench that should have looked entirely out of place, but somehow didn't. Growing from the ground, the oddly shaped bench was part of the landscape, organic and manufactured all at the same time. Little fruits like glass beads hung off its side.

"Not to be rude," a weathered old voice interrupted her inspection. Azula turned around to find herself not alone. "It's just that, other than my past and future lives, I'm not used to having guests. Who are you?"

Azula looked at him wide-eyed. She didn't need to ask him the same because she already knew. She'd seen his picture many times in history class, labeled as one of the greatest enemies in her nation's history.

Which left only one question on her mind…

"Where am I?" she asked, afraid of the answer.

"You have found yourself in the spirit world... somehow." He then gave a slight nod to introduce himself, "and I am Avatar Roku."


	47. Chapter 46: Unassailable Spirit

**Chapter 46**

_Unassailable Spirit_

Seeing his friends under attack, especially after all they'd just been through, brought out a fury in Aang like he'd not felt since bandits stole Appa back in the desert surrounding Wan Shi-Tong's library. His exhaustion disappeared, and after glancing down to make sure everyone was alright, shot over them and made a beeline for the Earth Kingdom ship, eyes and arrows glowing.

Propelled by a group of earthbenders, another boulder-sized disk of rock let loose from the deck and hurtled through the air. Aang altered his course slightly, setting himself on a direct intercept, then crashed head first through the disk, blowing it to pieces in the process. Chunks of rock and pebbles rained into the sea and across the ship's deck, and then out of the dust cloud came Aang, crashing into the deck. Anyone who wasn't already taking shelter from the shower of rocks was blown of their feet by a burst of wind.

A thousand angry voices yelled in unison.

"STOP..."

Water erupted all around the ship.

"...ATTACKING..."

The waves stopped in mid motion, surrounding the ship with a wall of water on all sides.

"...MY..."

Then froze solid, holding the ship and making any further attacks or hope of escape impossible.

"...FRIENDS!"

A tornado-strength blast of air slammed into the ship's bridge. Glass exploded from the windows, beams snapped, and the roof tore away, left ripped open like a gaping wound. Only through Aang's mastery of his art and use of the Avatar state was he was able to do so without injuring the Capitan and crew, now crouched down and terrified inside. When the smoke cleared and debris settled, the Captain slowly looked around and stood up.

"Avatar Aang? We... we didn't know you..."

Aang wasn't in the mood for conversation, and still backed up by the authority and intimidation of the Avatar state, cut the Captains attempt at apology short.

"If you want an enemy, it's out there!" He said pointing his staff toward the tiny sun Crescent Island had become. Then, without giving him another chance to speak, Aang said, "I'm going to check on my friends," and then commanded, "Don't do anything until I get back!"

The glow faded and shot up into the air, leaving the ship still encased in ice, and zipped over to the crashed airship. Upon landing, he got assurances that everyone was alright. Then, before Katara could point out the other approaching ships, Toph slapped Aang on the back. "If that looked half as impressive as it sounded, then consider me impressed. Knew I'd make a man out of you someday..."

"Uh... Toph?" Sokka said, "You might want to rephrase..."

"Guys!" Katara jumped in. "Hate to interrupt such an awkward conversation, but we got more company on the way. Look!"

She pointed out the little dots on the horizon coming in from the West. Even from this distance, the little trails of smoke rising from the ship's engines marked them as Fire Nation vessels. Aang sighed and snapped his glider's wings open.

Zuko put a hand out to stop him. "I'll take Appa and deal with my fleet. You'll have your hands full explaining this to the Earth Kingdom fleet," Zuko said, pointing past the trapped-in-ice Earth Kingdom ship where more ships could be seen arriving from the east.

"That won't be the last of it either," Zuko finished.

"How do know that?" Aang asked. It was Gou that continued.

"These waters right here. Well, this's about the closest the Fire Nation gets to the Earth Kingdom. Most of the war's first battles were fought in these very waters. Now that the Earth Folk got their land back... for the most part, they're gonna be on edge, patrollin' around these waters just as heavy as they did back before we pushed inland. And that..."

Gou pointed out to what Crescent Island had become, a massive, churning, pulsing ball of fire sitting on the ocean's surface. It was an explosion frozen in time with no indication when the clock would start again. Clouds burned away from it and steamed boiled up from its base.

"If I was ta' bet, I'd guess you could see that thing from a hundred miles away at least. Every boatload of soldiers still itchin' fer a fight is gonna see that an' be drawn to it like a moth to a flame."

"But the war's over. Why would anyone still be looking for a fight?" Aang asked. Despite everything he'd had to deal with over the last year, he was still a monk first and was honestly bewildered that anyone would willing choose to seek out violence.

"Because it's comfortable," Suki said, looking off at the ships in the distance.

"You're talking about men who grew up fighting a war their grandparents were born into. No matter how terrible and horrible and painful war is, when it's all you've been taught, when it's the only thing you know... I was lucky. Even though I was trained to be a Kiyoshi warrior from a young age, and yes, fighting was a way of life, but because of our isolation, it wasn't the only thing I knew. For some people, it is, and not having a battle to fight means not having a purpose."

"Suki's right," Zuko said. "When the war ended and I became Fire Lord, I knew I'd have trouble with the Nobles. They're the ones that lost the most, especially those presiding over the colonies, but what surprised me more than anything was how many soldiers were angry that the war was through. It didn't make any sense to me at first, but then I remembered what I went through with my uncle in Ba Sing Se... We'd made a new life for ourselves, I was happy for the first time in a long time, and we'd actually found peace... but when it came right down to it, I just couldn't accept it. Deep down, I still had something to prove, something I couldn't let go of. Hunting you down, restoring my honor, returning home, earning my father's love... I had such a fixed idea of what I needed out of life, so many conditions, so many expectations that when my path changed, it was like having the rug pulled out from underneath you. As you know, it ended leading me to some pretty poor decisions. That's what so many of these soldiers are dealing with right now. When we stopped the war we took away their purpose, and a man who's lost his purpose can be a very dangerous thing. Just keep that in mind when you're dealing with those Earth Kingdom ships."

Zuko climbed up on Appa.

Sokka, whose only experience with Zuko trying to give advice was when Zuko had stumbled all over a bad impersonation of his uncle Iroh back in Boiling Rock Prison, something about clouds and sandwiches, remarked. "That was... actually kind of profound. You might be better at this Fire Lord thing than I thought."

"He has his moments," Mai said as she walked past him on her way over to Appa. She yelled up to Zuko, "Hey, make room for me. This has been fun an all, but I've had enough ice for one day. Ty Lee, you coming, too?"

"Nah! I'll stay here for now." ._..and keep an eye on Azula__,_ she didn't need to add.

"When I get to the fleet, I'll send a ship to pick everyone up. Good Luck, Aang," Zuko said, then yip-yipped Appa into the air. Once he was on his way to deal with Fire Nation ships, Aang was left to do the same with the approaching Earth Kingdom ships, and having one of them trapped in ice seemed like as though it might be a slight breach of diplomatic etiquette. So Aang took Katara over to the Earth Kingdom ship, both to help in unfreezing it, and so that she could try and explain the whole apocalyptic situation.

Aang would have stayed to help her, but with more Earth Kingdom ships closing fast, he didn't have time. He returned and asked Suki's help in dealing with other approaching vessels.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked.

Aang explained that, given the Kyoshi Warriors' fame and reputation around the Earth Kingdom, it might help a bit if he showed up with their leader, especially considering he did just attack one of their ships.

"Also this way we can cover twice as many ships. I'll drop you off on one boat, and I'll take the next. Try explain everything the best you can, then we'll hit the next two. I wanna get the message across to as many ships as we can before they get into fire range again."

"What should we do?" Sokka asked, referring to himself and Toph.

"Well, over that distance, I can only fly with one other person... so, uh, help Gou load up whatever he needs from the airship when Zuko gets back?"

"Oh, gee, thanks, how very exciting," Sokka said with a surprising lack of enthusiasm.

. . . . . . . .

By the time nightfall rolled around, news of the situation had spread between the two slowly approaching fleets, as well as a terse agreement that, for the time being, the building Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom naval forces would keep their distance from one another as a precautionary measure. The chaotic display of Kaji's catastrophic power lighting up the night sky like a second sun had every soldier, sailor, officer and engineer keyed-up, nervous and on edge. The last thing they needed was to be anywhere near a target they could attack. Try as he might, Aang couldn't find the chink in Kaji's armor, and it wasn't for lack of trying.

Once word had been spread, apologies made, ships freed from ice, uneasy alliances forged and everyone from Aang's manmade iceberg moved onto what was now serving as Zuko and the Gang's command ship, Aang gathered his strength and made another run at the island with the fleets watching in anticipation behind him. There were only so many spyglasses to go around, however once Aang's assault started, the use of one wasn't necessary. Even from several miles away, the power of a fully realized Avatar could be clearly witnessed with the naked eye.

. . . . . . . .

Hundreds of miles away, far enough that the calamity on Crescent Island couldn't be seen though it's luminous glow still brightened the west's dusk horizon, an old master of mind, body and chakras sat contemplating the spiritual unrest he could feel through the earth itself. The planet was in danger. A spiritual turmoil like none he'd ever felt in his long life pulled him from his meditations and sent a chill down his spine.

He opened his eyes, gazed out over the horizon, setting his eyes far to the west. He took a deep breath and tried to calm the unease threating his normal composure. Reaching down, he grabbed a small wooden bowl and lifted it to his lips. The normally soothing taste of onion and banana's did nothing to ease the tension.

The planet itself was calling for help, and this would not be a battle the young Avatar could win on his own. Closing his eyes and reaching out to the spirits, to the earth, to whoever would offer, he became a conduit and opened himself to any answers that might find their way to him.

. . . . . . . .

It had only been a few hours since Aang's last attempt at pushing through Kaji's defenses, and yet, in only that short time, it became quickly apparent how much stronger the barrier had already become. Try as he might, attempting to firebend the barrier was now all but useless. Whereas before he could at least grab hold of the flames and attempt to wrestle them from the Kaji, the spirit's control over the flames pulsing around Crescent Island were at this point so absolute that, as far as bending went, Aang couldn't even feel the flames existence. It was almost as if they didn't exist as part this reality.

Undeterred, Aang began to twist and churn the air around him. The heat of the barrier intensified as the wind pressed against it, but that wasn't Aang intention. Pressing the tail of the tornado into the sea, he began sucking thousands upon thousands of water up into the twister, creating a hurricane around himself and then pressed into the barrier. It seethed and hissed against his attack, but failed to yield. Then, forgoing the winds, the hurricane died out and Aang reached into the sea and pushed his powers to a point where even the Avatar State felt strained.

Hundreds of thousands of gallons of sea water rose up and crashed against the barrier, both in the form colossal waves and mountains of ice, with no results other than to almost suffocate him in a broiling torrent of steam which he only avoided with a liberal application of airbending. Then, plunging under the ocean, surrounded in a bubble of air, Aang tore rocks from the sea floor, peeling away at the volcano's base and hoping to dig his way through there. It went well at first, but soon he found the same problem as he had with the fire above. The more he tore away, the less and less the rocks gave to his will. Soon it felt like arm wrestling, pushing and pulling against an element that didn't want to be bent, and the stress was quickly wearing him down.

Aang didn't understand. The fire made sense; Kaji was, after all, a fire spirit, but the stone of the island as well? How?

There was no time to dwell on it now. As a last resort, he rose from sea, trailing behind him every last ton of rock ripped from the sea floor he was capable of bending. An island formed beneath him, pushing up from the waves and forming into a small mountain. It took everything he had left. Every fiber of his being felt like giving out. Every ounce of the Avatar state was stressed to its limit.

The glow from his eyes and tattoos wavered and began to give out. He fought back and called on every ounce of strength every past Avatar could give him. He felt the well of power from deep within surge with strength. A light erupted from his eyes, his tattoos practically burned. The mountain below ripped and cracked, tearing itself away from the sea bed and rose up, ascending into the air high above. From miles away, the two gatherings watched with a mix awe and horror as the single largest chunk of earth an earthbender had ever moved rose above the waves. Entire armies couldn't have managed such a feat. It was half the size of Crescent Island itself. A small manmade moon floating in front of an artificial sun. It was a sight they'd tell their grandchildren about, assuming they lived that long.

A thousand voices screamed past Aang's lips as the strain became overwhelming. With one last titanic effort, Aang sent the colossal homemade meteorite plowing into the fire. Rocks erupted, shattered, and exploded, melting into magma and blowing apart like bombs. A deafening boom of such cacophony that even he couldn't resist its force sent Aang tumbling through the air and splashing into the ocean. Rocks plunged into the water above him. Twisting and turning through the water, he swam for the surface, avoiding a shower of stones and boulders along the way. Almost out of breath, he burst through the surface gasping for air and almost got squashed by another boulder in the process. He had no strength left to stop it, and used what little he had left to water bend himself out of the way, and at that it was only barely enough to narrowly escape. The air around him was thick with ash and soot from his failed assault, so, weak as he was, as far past his own limitations as he felt, he was forced to keep bending to stay alive. It hurt just to move his arms. Swirling a finger, he kept a small clean pocket of air surrounding his head and with the other hand, made a sheet of ice to rest on then pushed himself out of the soot cloud.

As soon as he made it clear, Aang's spirit sunk. Looming over black cloud, the twisting churning sphere of fire remained. For all his effort, the daunting shell of flames looked completely unharmed and untouched. It was as though he'd done nothing at all.

With nothing left to give, he gave Crescent Island a backward glance, then reluctantly made his way back to the fleet, defeated.

. . . . . . . . .

Except for the catastrophic explosion from Aang's final attack that rocked the entire fleet, Katara missed all of it. She'd been busy acting as nurse to a pair of Fire Nation doctors trying to set Nagohda's broken limbs since the moment both he and Azula had been brought onto the ship. Luckily, it was a large vessel, an Imperial class cruiser as Zuko had mentioned, and had it's own infirmary. Fully equipped with everything they needed. Splints, braces, bandages of all lengths, shapes and sizes, as well as a whole collection of strange and nasty looking instruments Katakana didn't even recognize. Long rods ending in small hooks of various curves twists and odd shapes. An assortment of small, very sharp knives, a few tong and tweezer like devices. Even a few saws that she didn't like the look of.

Initially, the doctors were adverse to being helped by a waterbender. Old prejudices die hard, but at Zuko's insistence, she was allowed. At first, the only thing Wei and Sung, the two doctors she was assisting, wanted her to do, was hold Nagohda down with her waterbending.

"Once we start moving these bones around, he'll wake up. Trust me. So you need to..."

"Excuse me?" Ty Lee interrupted. She was just getting ready to start cleaning Azula's hair. Though for once, it was less about Azula, and more that Ty Lee just couldn't stand seeing anyone's hair looking that gross... much less someone who might kill half the crew if she saw herself in a mirror looking the way she dud.

Ty Lee walked over and Sung asked, "Yes?"

Ty Lee all but ignored the woman and walked around the table to where Nagohda's head lay. In quick succession of motions, she pinched his neck, pressed her thumbs into his collar, then lifted his head and lightly jabbed another few fingers against the back of his neck.

"There." She said walked back past the bewildered looking doctors. "Conscious or not, he won't be able to feel anything from the neck down for the next few hours."

Wei look like he was about to say something when Katara chimed. "Trust me, it works"

At first, they just had her applying pressure with a steady supply of cold water to keep the internal bleeding down while they set the bone, but the more they worked with and warmed up to her, the more uses they found for her style of healing.

Surrounding the arm in water and ice, she could apply pressure in ways they couldn't, and following the more experienced doctors instruction, Katara discovered the she could indeed set broken bones with waterbending. After working together for a few short hours, they'd managed to get all three of Nagohda's broken ribs back in place, as well as set the break in his upper right arm. Which proved more difficult than the cracked ribs. The humerus (as Katara learned it was called) had been snapped like a twig, and manipulating the bone back in place, with all accompanying clicks, cracks, and squishes (made worse that she could _feel_ everything she was hearing through her bending), made her more than a bit nauseous. She made it through without succumbing, but it made the doctors suggestion of what they wanted to try on Nagohda's knee all the worse.

Katara excused herself and told them that she needed a little time to think about it, as well as some fresh air. It upon heading out on deck that she finally learned Aang wasn't back yet.

"What do you mean he isn't back yet!?" Katara demanded.

"Just calm down, Sis," Sokka tried to assure her, "Zuko sent some ships to look for him once we realized how long he'd been gone. If he's out there, we'll..."

"If!?" Katara yelled, feeling as though she were about to explode.

"There he is!" A crew member with a spyglass yelled and pointed.

Katara and Sokka ran over to the port side rail and looked. Zuko popped out from the bridge with a spyglass in hand as well. He looked out, spotted Aang, then commanded a lifeboat be lowered for him. Katara snatched away the crew member's spyglass and looked for him. Why wasn't he just flying back with his glider?

Once they got him on board, it was obvious. Aang could barely stand on his own. He was beyond exhausted. It was then that she realized just how hard he'd been pushing himself. The Avatar State always took a bit out of him, and how many times had he used it today? Now that she thought about it, Aang had been bending almost non-stop since they first arrived on Crescent Island, and from what she was gathering as he tried to field questions from the crowd gathering around him, he'd been pushing himself far harder than anyone expected. To a point, they all took it for granted what the Avatar could do, and at times it was hard to remember that, despite all his immense power, he was still only human, and a thirteen year old human at that.

"Ok, everyone back off. Just give him some room," Katara demanded, shooing away the crowd as she pulled his arm over her shoulder and helped him to his feet. "What Aang needs right now is rest, and no more questions."

"Katara..." Aang said weakly, "It's... it's alright. I still need to..."

"No Aang, you've done enough for one day. What you need to do now is rest."

Aang realized the futility of his protest. At this point, a stiff wind could knock him over, and everyone could see it. Katara led him back to the infirmary and gently helped him into a bed. She wanted to say something to him, but he was out the second his head hit the pillow. Seeing him like this, willing to push himself so hard for the sake of others, gave her new resolve. Grabbing his hand in hers, she thought back to what the Fire Nation doctors had asked of her just before Aang returned.

Upon completing her part in setting Nagohda's right arm, Sung and Wei went on to explain that his knee was far too damaged to repair, and that, under normal circumstances, they'd have no choice but to amputate. However, after what they'd seen Katara's waterbending was capable of, Sung had gotten an idea about saving the boy's leg. However, it would require Katara's full cooperation. She was fully and enthusiastically ready to agree... that was until they started to describe what it was they wanted her to do. In excruciatingly colorful detail.

As Wei explained it, they'd need to cut open the knee and repair the damage from inside. That's where she came in. By freezing a shell of water around the knee and opening it only where necessary, she could staunch the blood flow. And that would be the easy part. As far as fixing the damage from the inside out... that would be her job too. Exclusively.

Wei and Sung would be there to guide her, but it was only the application of Katara's style of healing that even made attempting this a viable option. On top of that, as Wei said, it was bound to be a long procedure. Every torn tendon and snapped ligament would have to be shifted back in place and healed one at a time. It could last all day, and once they started, they didn't want to stop. They even asked Ty Lee for her assistance, and as the surgery would last most of the day, they'd need her chi-blocking applied multiple times. She agreed only on the condition that they throw a curtain up so she didn't have to see all the "gross stuff" they were talking about. They agreed, and so she did as well.

That just left Katara.

At the time, the entire proposal seemed entirely too overwhelming. She was confident in her healing, but this was so far beyond the scale of anything she'd ever attempted with it. On top of that, as Sung was kind enough to add, since this was the first operation of it's kind ever attempted, there were no guarantees that it would even work. In the end, even after all that effort, Nagohda might lose his leg anyway.

She wasn't sure she could it, physically or mentally. Heck, she'd almost lost her lunch from setting a broken arm, how could she handle something like this?

However, now sitting at Aang's bedside, looking into his face, thinking of everything he'd put himself through. Not just today, but since she'd first met him. She couldn't help but feel ashamed that she herself would hesitate even for a second to do everything in her power and beyond to get Nagohda back to his mother in one piece. Closing her eyes, Katara could picture Sesha, Nagohda's mother, sitting at the kitchen table over which she and Katara drank tea and talked about her lost son. In her hands, Secha clutched a picture of her late husband and son... tears streaming down her cheeks... from that image, Katara thought of herself and the night's she'd spent crying her eyes dry over the loss of her own mother...

She stood up, placed Aang's hand back over his heart and whispered a thank you in his ear, then turned around and walked over to Nagohda's bedside where Wei was just still setting the wrapping around the boy's arm.

"Wei," she said, catching his attention and then continuing before he had a chance to ask, "I'm in. I'll do it."

. . . . . . . . .

"Fire Lord, sir!" The first mate ran up to Zuko and dropped to a knee.

"What is it?" Zuko asked.

"A ship just broke ranks from the Earth Kingdom fleet and is headed this way."

_Great, just what we need_, Zuko thought, s_ome rogue captain with a grudge who wants to s__tart a fight. And if I send a ship to intercept, even if it's to defend our__selves, it could trigger an all-__out battle._

For a moment, he thought about calling Aang up to the bridge, but then recalled the shape he was in upon returning. He still kept it as an option, but for now, this was something he should handle himself.

"There's more, Fire Lord. Whoever it is isn't flying an Earth Kingdom flag."

"Oh great, is the Watertribe getting involved now?" Zuko asked, heading to the window and motioning the lookout to hand him the spyglass.

"No sir, it's not Watertribe either. It's not any flag I recognize. It's... some kind of flower."

_A flower?_ Zuko thought. And for the first time in weeks, he felt a glimmer of hope. He took the spyglass and pointed it in the direction of the approaching ship. A wave of relief started to wash over him as he threw the spyglass back to his first mate.

"That's not any flower," he said with a slight smile on his face. "It's a lotus. A white lotus to be exact."

. . . . . . . . .

"Aang... Aang, can you hear me?"

The Avatar opened his eyes, wondering to whom the voice that interrupted his meditation belonged.

"Hello?" he asked. No answer.

Still sitting, he looked around and saw no one. In front of him sprawled out a grand tapestry of skybisons flying through the clouds. He recognized it readily enough. This wasn't his first time he'd been here. Once, a very long ago, he'd been introduced to his best friend here. Then, not so long ago, he'd returned to learn from...

"Aang, is that you?"

This time he recognized the voice. Turning from the tapestry and walking out under the stars, he was met with a familiar face.

"Guru Pathik! What are... wait, what am I doing here? I was just on a ship and..."

"Do not worry, Aang, your body still rests were you left it. You are simply dreaming, though do not be mistaken, I myself am not a dream."

It was a strange thing to say... especially since he didn't say it. Aang heard Pathik's voice, but even as he spoke, the Guru sat before him meditating, his eyes closed, his lips unmoving.

"Ok, you kinda lost me. So am I dreaming or..."

"As you once discovered for yourself, we are all connected, Aang. You are dreaming. I am not. While you sleep where you are, I have called your spirit to where I am, and as you can see, I am at the eastern air temple, meditating on this conversation."

If the rest of the conversation was going to take place this way, Aang was ready to just close his eyes and sit down, because it was kind of weird. However, just as Aang was getting ready to do just that, Pathik's spirit stood up and left his body sitting were it was. He stepped forward in this form and bowed to Aang.

"Ah, it is good to see you again. You've grown." He said holding a hand out just aside Aang's head, then dropped it to his side and leaned down to look at Aang closer. "In many ways."

Pathik smiled and started walking, casually leaving his body behind. "Come, walk with me,"

Aang looked back to where Pathik had left his body. He was about to ask the Guru how he was just able to step away from his own body like that. Up till now, he'd just assumed that was an Avatar only thing. Apparently not. However it hardly seemed the most pressing thing to be asking about at the moment.

"Wait." Aang said. "As goo d as it is to see you again, this really isn't the best time for reunions. I..."

"Yes, I know of the spirit on Crescent Island. It is why I called you here. Come." Pathik motioned for Aang to follow him. Aang chased after, a thousand questions on his lips, but the most important came first

"Can you tell me how to beat it? Right now I can't even..."

Pathik put up his hand to stifle Aang's inevitable barrage before it could start. The young Avatar's agitation was palpable.

"Calm yourself Aang. I know you have many questions, and I will answer what I can in time. As for your first. No, I cannot tell you beat it, but I can teach you how to fight it."


	48. Chapter 47: Out of Body Experience

**Chapter 47**

_Out of Body Experience_

"Not to be rude," he said, "It's just that, other than my past and future lives, I'm not used to having guests. Who are you?"

The question wasn't entirely necessary, nor was it entirely dishonest. He knew this girl. Maybe not by name, but the connection he felt to her and all that it implied was readily apparent as soon as he had found her, as well was the knowledge that she knew none of this.

"Where am I?" Azula asked.

"You have found yourself in the spirit world... somehow." He then gave a slight nod to introduce himself, "I am Avatar Roku."

Azula examined him for a moment, not entirely sure why this particular person would visit her in this... whatever this was.

"Spirit world..." she said to herself, mulling it over. She looked around, even taking a moment to look at her own hands, turning them over and then clapping them together before switching her attention back to the scenery. All as if she was trying to decide on the weight of this strange place's reality.

"Makes as much sense as anything else that's been happening to me lately."

But then there was a quick of breath from the girl, or at least the motion of it as spirits really had no need breathing. It was as if a thought had just occurred to her, and not one she was terribly fond of. Looking about with a dawning fear spreading itself to the corners of her brow, she asked in a far more timid manner then she'd been previously presenting herself.

"But if this really is - does that mean I'm..." she paused, apparently unable to spit the word out on her own.

"Dead?" Roku finished for her. The word made the girl flinch.

"No, child, you are not dead. I can assure you of that."

She exhaled a breath and relaxed. The worry melted away as she seemed to reassure herself with a slight titter of laughter. Then, curiously, she lifted her hand to her lips and exhaled again. She looked intrigued, and tried it again, this time simply blowing, then again pulling her bluish glowing hand away and looked at it again. It was an odd few moments before Roku actually figured out what she was doing.

"You're in the spirit world. You're body doesn't need to breathe. However, If there's someone out there watching over you right now, I'm sure they're now very worried as to why you've suddenly started to hyperventilate for no reason."

Someone watching over me? It was almost enough to make Azula laugh. Last she remembered, right before everything went all fuzzy and she wound up here, she'd been on a volcano. Of all things, her final few memories were of trying to help that stupid worthless peasant. If anything, her body was just lying there roasting...

_If he's the reason I'm dead, I swear..._

"Are absolutely sure I'm not dead?" she had to ask again after these memories lapped upon the shore of her mind.

"If you must know the details, then it is true to say that, for a moment, you had passed beyond. However, it seems that, somehow, someone pulled you back. You are very lucky. It's not often one gets a second chance to write themselves another fate, though it's also not entirely unheard of. In fact, my own successor, Avatar Aang, had a similar run of fortune after being struck with a lightning bolt as well. I'd go into more detail, but I'd hate to bore you with a story I'm certain you're already familiar with."

At this, Azula let slip a slight laugh. She leaned back on the bench and crossed her arms then looked over at the old Avatar, giving him a sly look. "So, that's how this is going to be then. No games, just straight to the point?"

Roku said nothing and after a pause, Azula gave another breathless sigh and uncrossed her arms.

"Very well then... Yes, guilty as charged. I was the one who tried to kill Avatar Aang just as my great-grandfather ended you. Is that what this is all about then? Is this why you brought me here? A chance at revenge?" Then she narrowed her eyes. "Or something worse? Like a long, heartfelt lecture about the merits of forgiveness and friendship, because if that's the case, I think I'll choose revenge."

She was abrupt, straightforward and confident in the words she chose. Even in the presence of an Avatar who, for all she knew, had every intention of delivering upon her the very revenge she seemingly joked about, she sat unflinching. Indeed, for all Roku could tell, she wasn't joking and, in fact, had every intention to face off against him if that's what the situation boiled down to. Regardless, she remained sitting beside him with the demeanor of someone waiting for their tea rather than the vengeance of an Avatar's century long grudge. All in all, he couldn't help but feel that he was sitting next to his old friend.

It was now Roku's turn to laugh. "You've inherited Sozin's boldness, that is for certain. As far as answering your question, all I can tell you is that it was not me who brought you here, but you who called out to me."

The old man's words did nothing to abate Azula's apprehension. On the contrary, she was now convinced more than ever that this was all a prelude to some sort of spirit world trick.

"And what is that supposed to mean, that I called out to you? Other than you're historical notoriety, you're nothing more to me than a drawing in a history book. Out of anyone I'd call to in the spirit world, why would it be you?"

It was a somber moment for Roku. For in his haste to recognize only the strength of her heredity, he was overlooking the damage it had done to her as well. Perhaps it was just an old man's desire to hold off the mistakes of his past, or just that he truly wished his burden hadn't been placed on another without him knowing. Either way, her inability to trust his motives gave him a window to peer through, and what he saw within was a spirit in turmoil.

"Very well," Roku said. Closing his eyes and straightening himself, he turned his body more to face her. "I was not lying when I said that you've inherited Sozin's boldness. However, the truth of the matter is that you've inherited a great deal more from your ancestors then that."

He looked at her intently, making sure he had her undivided attention, then continued.

"For, you see, Princess Azula, you carry within your bloodline the sins of more than just one great-grandfather, but the conflict born of..."

"It's you, isn't it?"

Roku stumbled a bit at the abrupt interruption. "I... didn't know you were aware?"

Azula shrugged. "I wasn't, but what else could you have been leading up to in such a dramatic fashion?"

Even with this, her demeanor barely changed.

"You're taking this... better than I would have thought."

Azula shrugged. "Yes, well I suppose there's only so many times one can stumble across a life altering revelations before it all starts to become a bit numbing, really. Don't take it personally; I've just been through an awful lot in the last few weeks and this is hardly the most shocking thing I've come to learn about myself. If we'd run into each other, say, a few months ago, I'm sure my astonishment would have been much more satisfactory."

"I... see," Roku said.

"Don't let me take the wind out of your sails. Please, continue. You were saying something about bloodlines and conflict."

Roku cleared his throat. "Yes... well, to clarify what I was I was getting at earlier when I told you that it was your presence that brought me here, and not the other way around."

He checked to make sure she was actually paying attention, and it seemed that she was. That was good, but Roku couldn't help but be a little annoyed that he wasn't commanding the flow of conversation quite as well as he'd hoped... Yes, she reminded him of Sozin quite a bit.

"For the last hundred years, my spirit has been ill at ease. I had assumed that Aang putting an end to the hundred year war would have put me at ease, but the feeling has yet to leave me. At first, I assumed it a punishment for my failure as Avatar, but after meeting you, I feel there is more to it than that. It would seem that the reason I remain unable to find myself at peace, is because the scars of strife, born upon this world in the struggle between Sozin and myself, were not erased when Avatar Aang ended the war. That is because the conflict born between Sozin and I still lives on in you."

_. . . . . .__ . ._

"Uncle!" Zuko threw his arms around Iroh almost before the old general stepped off the plank stretched between the two boats. "It's good to see you! I just wish the circumstances weren't so dire."

"Yes, about that," Iroh said, turning an eye to what Crescent Island had become. "I'm just going to make the assumption that this has gone a bit beyond Azula?"

"Yeah..." Zuko said. "You could say that."

"Hey!" Sokka yelled, both as a greeting to Iroh and to interrupt, "If we're going to have to go over this story again, can we at least do it over some food?"

"Sokka, this is hardly..." Zuko started, until he felt Iroh's hand on his shoulder.

"Actually, I'm pretty hungry myself. Besides, long stories go better with a big meal and a fine cup of tea."

"You know, I always liked this guy!" Sokka said with a smile.

Zuko rolled his eyes.

"Fine, follow me," he said, before leading them off to the galley.

_. . . . . . ._

"The planet's energy is part of you and you are a part of it. Clear your mind, reach out, and allow yourself to become one with its energy. Can you sense it Aang?" Guru Pathik asked Aang as he sat meditating beside him.

Pathik spent the last few hours teaching Aang how to feel the planets energy. Under normal circumstances, it should be almost second nature for the Avatar, though, with his body and friends floating on a ship sitting on the ocean only a few miles out from what looked to be the beginning of the end of the world, he was having a bit of trouble concentrating. Several times Pathik had to reassure him that his friends were in no immediate danger. When Aang asked how he knew that, the Guru explained that that was exactly what he was trying to show him. When asked why he couldn't just tell him outright, Pathik only said that he'd understand once he understood.

That didn't help alleviate Aang's frustration. So, with no straight answers forthcoming, he resigned himself to trusting the Guru and did what he was told. Then, after several hours of listening intently to Pathik's instruction while trying to mediate, which made it even more difficult, it finally just 'clicked'.

His eyes flicked open as Guru Pathik asked his question. Aang looked at him for a moment, trying to find words to describe the experience, but couldn't. For a moment, just a brief flicker of time, not even a second, though it felt like an eternity, he'd connected with the life energy of the planet itself. In that flash, that infinitesimally overwhelming slice of time, he felt both at one with everything, and completely apart from it as well, like looking in on the world from the outside. He couldn't even talk; he felt completely drained.

"I'd offer you some onion and banana juice, but your spirit can't drink it!" Pathik offered lightheartedly.

"I'll be ok. Just give me a second," Aang said, collecting himself. It was already fading, which was probably for the best, though he retained what he'd gone looking for. So that's why Pathik didn't just tell him. Words wouldn't have been enough. He wanted Aang to _feel_ what was happening.

All this time, Aang had assumed that the Kaji was just using the volcano to make itself stronger, drawing the fire and energy into itself in preparation for an attack. The truth was much worse. The Kaji wasn't going anywhere. It didn't need to. Through the Volcano on Crescent Island, and bolstered by the energy it was drawing from the spirit world, it was draining the heat and energy straight from the planets core. In the sparse but overwhelming moment Aang had made his connection with the planet, he could feel it as though it was happening to himself. The very energy the planet relied upon, the fire that allowed it to foster life, was being slowly drawn out of it. Kaji was literally going to kill the planet itself.

"But... why?" Aang said, with no need to elucidate. Pathik shook his head. Apparently, he'd not been any more privy to that information than Aang had.

There was more. In the slice of a second Aang had essentially become one with the earth, he also felt a million sparks of energy, each and every one a life form walking, crawling, swimming and flying across the Earth's surface. Even the land, sea and air had energy to them, so many distinct energies and feelings, everything intertwined together but apart in its own way, called out to him. For that one gloriously exhausting, and staggeringly astounding moment, Aang felt a part of every last inch of the planet and every creature on it, all except for Crescent Island and Kaji.

Simply put, Crescent Island didn't exist in the physical world anymore. However, neither was it in the spirit world either. Aang would have felt that as well, but instead he felt nothing. There was a void were the island should be. Somehow, in some way, the fire spirit had found a way slip itself, and the entirety of the island... _between worlds._

Aang now remembered his conversation with Avatar Bahayarma and how she'd said something along the lines of it needing both energy from the physical and spirit world...

If that were the case, a fire spirit couldn't choose a better spot on the entire planet than an avatars temple on a volcano. Now, with energy from both realms at its disposal, it seemed the Kaji now had the power to do things even the Avatar couldn't.

That also explained something else Aang felt. While he could feel the energy being drawn from the planet, Kaji seemed to be sipping rather than gulping. Instead of a greedy ravenous consumption, the energy being drawn into the void was steady and measured. At first, while Aang sorted through a swirling infinity of thoughts before gathering the dwindling strands into a few legible pages of coherent mental notes. He couldn't understand why, after such a cataclysmic display of raw power, it now felt as though the Kaji was being cautious. However, with the revelation that it had somehow removed itself from the physical realm, it made sense. The Kaji wasn't in any particular hurry because it didn't need to be. Aang had no way to attack it. Not from the from the spirit world, or in this one. The Kaji had all the time in the world to drain the planet, and all Aang could do was watch.

_. . . . . . ._

The sun was just rising on the Fire Nation fleet gathered around Crescent Island. Wary of today's surgery, Katara had gone to sleep shortly after agreeing to it last night. Sung and Wei wanted to get an early start, so she was up early. Leaving her room, the first thing she noticed (as if it was possible to ignore) was the churning ball of fire sitting like a second sun on the surface of the ocean where an Island should be. Even at this distance, miles away, it dominated the horizon. Trying to keep herself focused on the task ahead, she forced herself to look away, however the other direction wasn't much more encouraging.

She could see roughly twice as many Earth Kingdom ships gathered in the distance as had been there last night. She knew they were supposed to be allies - she'd fought alongside them - but there was a delicate tension settled over the ocean, and what was happening on Crescent Island was only part of it.

Sung had told her to eat a large breakfast, as it could be most of the day until her next meal, and, opening the heavy metal door to the galley, she got the first surprise of the morning. No, it wasn't that Sokka was awake before her, though that was a shock in and of itself. In fact, everyone was there: Zuko, Ty Lee, Mai, Sokka, Toph, Suki and even Momo, flying around and helping himself to whatever scraps of fruit had been left on unattended plates. However, at some point during the night, a welcome addition to their party had apparently shown up as well. Sitting across from Zuko, sipping a cup of tea and adorned in the gray and white robes of a Grand Lotus, was his Uncle.

"Iroh? When did you, I mean how did..."

"Lash nyigh, n uh boa..." Sokka said through a mouthful of food.

"Last night, on a boat," Suki clarified.

Katara shot them both a look. "Yeah, I figured that part. I was asking more about specifics."

Iroh put down his tea cup and stood up, straightening his robes.

"To make a long story short, my nephew had sent some men to help keep watch over me in Ba Sing Se, but after finding out what was going on, I decided to come and see what help I could offer personally." He paused and nodded toward a man sitting to his right that Katara didn't recognize. "We were in the port town of Izu, just west of Omashu, when we saw what was happening on Crescent Island."

"You could see it all the way from there?" Katara asked. She didn't have the same mind for maps as her brother, but she was still aware that coast of Earth Kingdom was at least a hundred miles away... if not more.

Iroh nodded, and to Katara that only meant one thing.

"There's going to be a lot more ships showing up, aren't there?"

"That's what we've been talking about," Zuko said. As Katara joined them, Zuko went on to explain that he, Sokka and his uncle been up most of the night, getting Iroh up to speed with everything that had happened. It was right when Iroh asked about Aang when Wei entered the galley and asked Katara a rather unexpected question.

"Excuse me, Miss Katara, but is it normal for the Avatar's tattoos to glow while he's asleep?"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at him.

"I'll... take that as a no."

The table cleared out and in short order they were in the infirmary crowded around Aang's bed. Sure enough, just as Wei said, Aang was lying there, peacefully sleeping, just like she'd left him... except his tattoos were alight with a soft blue glow.

"Actually... this is sorta normal," Sokka said, which earned him more than a few odd glances, but Katara understood exactly what he meant.

"Well, normal's pretty subjective here," Katara added, "but Sokka's got a point. Aang's probably looking for answers. We really shouldn't disturb him."

"Baldy's in the spirit world again, isn't he!?" Toph said, crossing her arms. She almost seemed annoyed. "I bet he's gonna wake up with some new power as well. That's so not fair. I call dibs on being the Avatar next!"

"That's really not how it work's..." Sokka started to say before Katara began shooing everyone out.

"Alright, enough. Everyone out but Ty Lee! I've got surgery to perform. Wait..." She grabbed Sokka by the collar. "Take Aang with you. I really don't want him waking up in the middle of this. I have a feeling it's gonna get pretty messy."

Suki helped Sokka heft Aang off the bed and place him on Sokka's back, and then he followed everyone out.

"Should we move her out as well?" Sokka asked, nodding his head toward Azula. As soon as he mentioned it, Katara knew they thinking the same thing. If she was worried about Aang waking up and distracting her, what was Azula bound to do? Though it was Toph that gave the best reason to not bother.

"Wasn't Aang out for like three weeks after he got zapped?"

Not that the reminder did much to make Katara feel any better about using the spirit on Azula instead of saving to fight against Kaji, but that was neither here or there. Toph did have a point.

"I'll post some guards outside, just in case," Zuko said, which seemed to be the last of it, and they all made their way out.

Sung and Wei prepared their tools, none of which looked particularly pleasant to Katara, and readied Nagohda for surgery. Ty Lee did her part, using chi blocking to numb Nagohda from the neck down, and then promptly left. As she'd put it earlier, she really didn't want to see any of the "gross stuff." Katara really didn't either, but seeing as she was being used as the main tool in this operation, she really didn't have much of a choice. Well, she did actually, and she'd already made it. No matter what she needed to do, no matter how hard it might be to stomach, she was going to get Nagohda back to his mother in one piece.

She'd seen enough families torn apart.

"Are you ready?" Sung asked.

Katara closed her eyes, took a deep breath and held it for a second, then let it go.

"Yes. Let's do this!"

Outside and now slightly away from the infirmary, Sokka could feel Aang's breathing suddenly quicken and wondered again what it was the Avatar was up to.

_. . . . . . ._

"I still don't understand how any of this is supposed to teach me how to fight it! All I've learned is that it's completely untouchable because it's somehow removed itself from either of the two worlds I can actually go to! How does any of this help!?"

"Keep in mind what you have learned about it already. Yes, this creature itself is out of your reach, but the source of its power is not."

"What do you mean?"

"It is drawing on energies from both the physical and spirit worlds to strengthen itself and maintain its barrier. If you cut it off from either source, it will no longer be able to keep itself out of reach."

Aang thought about it for a moment. "I can't even touch it from the physical world... so are you saying there's a way I can fight from the spirit world?"

"Yes." It should have been a hopeful moment, Pathik finally giving Aang the advice he needed, but instead the old Guru took on a somber look.

"And this is the part I fear you will have the most trouble accepting..."

"What do you mean?" Aang asked.

"In order to make this creature vulnerable in the physical world, you will have to remain in the spirit world to suppress its ability to extract energy from it. If you don't, it will remain impossible for anyone in the physical world to attack it."

"Wait... but that means..."

"Yes. It means that while you'll be providing the means to defeat this spirit, you will not be able to participate in the battle itself."


	49. Chapter 48: Waking Dreamers

**Chapter 48**

_Waking Dreamers_

"What do you mean I can't fight it!?" Aang jumped to feet. "How can you expect me to just sit on the sidelines and let my friends fight for me? I thought the Avatar was supposed to protect..."

"Aang! Calm yourself," Pathik said with a quiet assertiveness. "Above all else, the Avatar's duty is to protect the world. Even above the people you love."

Aang felt his chest tighten, which was a little odd considering that his chest was actually several hundred miles away. Sokka felt Aang squirm, but didn't think much of it other than the same concern he'd give to someone mumbling in their sleep. Back with Pathik, Aang was furious. He understood completely what Pathik was saying, but emotionally it was too much to bear.

"Do you not have faith in your allies?" Pathik asked.

"What... Of course I do."

"Then put your trust in them as they have put their trust in you. This is not a battle you can fight alone. You will need to trust in your allies to accomplish this task in your absence. You may even find new allies in places you never thought to look."

Aang didn't know what Pathik meant by that last part, and assumed he wouldn't get a straight answer even if he asked so he let it slide. He set to the monumental task of calming himself, which took several moments, then sat back down next to Pathik and let the Guru continue into specifics.

. . . . . . . . .

Suki opened the door for Sokka, and he moved through it carefully so as to not bang Aang's head or scrape his own knuckles. He was still carrying the young air nomad on his back and the heavy steel doors of the ship weren't very wide.

Sokka turned so that he could sit down on the edge of the lower bunk and slip Aang off his back. He had to duck under the steel frame of the top bunk, but was able to squeeze beneath it and tilt himself just enough so that Aang slipped off his back and onto the bed. He then turned back around and swung Aang's legs up on the bed, crossed his arms across his chest, then adjusted his head on the pillow.

"You gonna kiss him goodnight too?" Suki asked with a smile. Sokka shot her a sour look, but before he could say anything, a voice yelling his name startled him so much that he jumped and cracked his head on the bunk above.

Aang was suddenly awake. "Ooh, Sokka are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. Just peachy," he said, holding his head.

"Good," Aang said in a hurry. "Where is everybody?"

"Scattered here and there across the planet, but most commonly found in densest concentrations in and around large cities."

Aang gave Sokka a flat stare.

"What? That's technically correct." He stood up, still rubbing his head.

"Fine, fine," he said once he determined that Aang didn't seem to be in a joking mood. "Follow me."

Stepping outside, Aang flinched at the sun, and then realized it wasn't the sun. The ball of fire engulfing Crescent Island sat miles away but still dominated the horizon. Intimidating as it was normally, it was tenfold more now that Aang knew what it really was: a blazing impenetrable hole in reality - a hellish pocket between two worlds that he'd have to send his friends into while he sat on the sidelines. It felt like someone reached inside and twisted his guts about, and the weight on his spirit must have been a noticeable one, because at that moment both Suki and Sokka asked him what was wrong.

"It's..." he started, but there was too much to cover twice. "Let's just go get everyone together. We've got a lot to plan."

Aang was happy to find Iroh on the ship. Not that it did much to alleviate the moose lion's share of his anxiety, but it was at least something. Iroh was a master strategist, and more than that, had the full support of the Earth King and an official letter to prove it. That in itself would go a long way in garnering help from the gathering Earth Kingdom fleet rather than them becoming another obstacle.

They gathered in what Zuko called the ships "War Room." Aang was no stranger to Fire Nation ships. He'd been a captive on one before - Zuko's actually, and his friends had even captured one after their loss in Ba Sing Se. The latter had been easily twice the size of the former. The ship allotted to Zuko during his banishment was far from impressive, and this ship was easily twice the size of that.

The war room was spacious. A large steel slab, equipped with clamps at its edge for holding down maps, sat paramount in the middle of the room like an alter for worship. And in a way, Aang supposed that it was. How many sacrifices had been made upon it, he wondered briefly before turning his attention to the matter at hand.

"Alright... Where's Katara, Toph and Sokka?" he asked.

"Katara's busy and won't make it," Zuko said. Aang raised an eyebrow and furled his brow, which Suki took as a sign to begin filling him in on that situation.

Out on deck, Toph was lying on deck, staring up at the sky. The steel around her creaked and groaned. Rivets popped as she swished her arms and legs back and forth, carving a winged outline of herself into the normally not-soft metal of the ship's deck. Sokka stood over her and looked disapprovingly down at the young earthbender as she carved steel angels into the deck.

"The Captain asked you to stop doing that," Sokka said in a deadpan manner.

"Yeah, well," Toph started to say as she sprung to her feet and started dusting herself off. "Maybe the Captain should have provided alternate entertainment as well. A bored Toph is a dangerous Toph. Besides..."

She stomped and a clang reverberated through the ship. Rooted to the steel, she slammed her palms into it and, after a few moments and a few more motions, flattened the deck back into shape... sort of. Of course, her bending didn't do much to replace the popped rivets, and most of the area she'd been swishing out imprints of herself still looked uneven and warped.

"There, good as new."

Sokka shook his head. "...and this is why the captain asked you to stop."

They left and she followed him back to the war room. Once inside, Aang got down to the meat of it, telling them everything he'd learned from Guru Pathik, or, more precisely, what he'd learned from the planet after Guru Pathik taught him how to connect with its spirit.

"Called it!" Toph yelled out, which caused everyone to stop and looked at her.

"See, new power. Just like I said." Then she sat down, apparently satisfied and didn't say anything else.

"Anyway," Aang continued, leading up to the part he was most worried about, and then laid out the last points he and Pathik talked about before Aang returned to the ship. In order to make Kaji tangible, in order to make it possible to set foot on Crescent Island and attack the creature, Aang was going to have to enter the spirit world with his physical body.

"Wait, you can go into the spirit world with your actual body?" Toph asked.

"You sure can," Sokka added, alluding to the time he, along with several villagers before him, had been stolen away and taken to the spirit world by an angry Hei Bai. "Just make sure you go to the bathroom first. I had to hold it the entire time I was there."

"But why?" Suki asked. "Why can't you go to the spirit world like you normally do? Why do you need to be in your physical body for this?"

"Because, in my spirit form, I can't bend," Aang explained. "Even then, I can't bend the elements since there really isn't any in the spirit world. It's all made of spirit energy, so..."

"Oh, oh, oh!" Sokka jumped up raising his hand like a school kid waiting to be called to answer a question, except he didn't bother waiting to continue. "I know! So that means Lion turtle magic, right?"

"Well, it's called energybending, but yeah. Guru Pathik said I'd be drawn to it and that I'd know what I was looking for when I found it." Aang shrugged. It was vague, but at this point he just had to trust that Pathik knew what he was talking about and that Aang would indeed know it when he found it.

"But that's just it," Aang continued to explain, "In order to weaken the Kaji and keep it in the physical world, I'm going to have to find where it's drawing power from in the spirit world and use my energybending to close it off, and hold it closed. Once I start, I won't be able to stop, or it'll just phase out again."

"How are you going to get into the spirit world?" Iroh, who had been sitting quietly and listening intently, spoke up for the first time since the meeting started.

It was something Aang had wondered himself. He'd made the journey plenty of times by way of leaving his body, but never in flesh and blood. Pathik's answer to the same question Iroh was now asking was just as vague as his advice about finding Kaji's source of power. He told Aang that he'd send someone to help, and that he'd arrive when they needed him. Of course the others asked who Pathik meant by 'him,' the same question Aang had asked, and yet Pathik didn't elaborate, and therefore neither could Aang.

"Ok, so enough with the spirit talk." Toph stood up and raised her voice. "When's this all goin' down?"

It was a good question and Aang didn't have an answer. Even with everything he'd learned from Pathik and all the information he'd just passed onto his friends, it all still fell well short of an actual plan, which Iroh felt no hesitation in pointing out.

"We'll accomplish nothing by rushing into this. Avatar Pathik said that this creature is biding its time, correct?" He'd been looking down at the table, upon which no map was currently affixed, and running a hand over his thick gray beard, then looked up at Aang when he asked his question.

"That's right," Aang said with a nod. "It knows we can't get to it, so it's not in any hurry... but it's still getting stronger by the minute."

Iroh nodded slowly, still stroking his beard and narrowing his eyes. "Understood, but we cannot let fear or desperation rush us into this battle before we are truly ready. While it is true that the longer we wait, the stronger this creature becomes, but without a proper strategy we will only invite defeat, and this is a battle we cannot lose."

While speaking, Iroh stood and strolled over to the large world map permanently affixed to the port side wall of the war room. Stopping in front of where Crescent Island sat on the map, he went on without turning around.

"I will see what I can do to bring together a meeting of the other Admirals and Generals from both the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom fleets. We should also extend an invitation and explanation to anyone in the surrounding areas, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, or otherwise. If we can bring them together, we have a much greater chance at success. I will use my resources as a Grand Lotus to this effect, and while I do that, I trust all of you to work out your parts in this."

After Iroh took his leave and the rest of them started throwing out ideas, it was Sokka that finally came up with the first course of action they could all agree on. Snapping his fingers and jumping up from his chair like the idea had just bitten him, he shouted it out.

"Hey! What about... uh..." It took a few more seconds for Sokka to remember the name, during which the others exchanged glances while waiting for him to spit it out.

"Nagohda!" Sokka finally shouted. Then, as if what he meant should have been obvious, he stood there looking at all them.

"Uh, what about him?" Aang was the first to ask. Not he, nor anyone else, really had any idea what Sokka was trying to get at.

"C'mon, he had this thing living rent free in his brain for like, two months or something right!? Maybe he can tell us something we don't already know? I mean, no offense Aang, but even after all that junk you learned from the Guru it doesn't really seem we're any closer to actually having a strategy to win this thing."

"Sokka's right," Zuko said, chiming in with his thoughts. "If we've got any chance at beating this thing, especially without the Avatar there to help us, were going to need all the information we can get. Anything he can tell us might help."

It was agreed upon. They'd wait for Katara to be done with her surgery, then, as soon as they could, they'd question Nagohda.

. . . . . . . . .

Azula stood and took a few steps away from Roku. Then, without turning around, she said to him over her shoulder, "What ridiculous nonsense!"

She turned around and looked at him, repeating what he'd said only moments ago in a dismissive manner, "The conflict between Sozin and you lives on in me? Did you really think I'd believe such tripe? It's completely ludicrous. Sorry, it's been fun, but I'm not going to sit around and let you try and convince me that your failure as Avatar is somehow my problem, or even worse, that's it's my job to correct your mistakes. Goodbye!"

"Was it not you who told Long Feng that the divine right to rule is something you're born with?"

She spun on him, and whereas before she was simply frustrated, now she was furious.

"How do you..." she spat between clenched teeth. It felt like a violation of the highest order. No matter who he was, or what he was to her, he had no right digging through her memories. Without thinking, she was already halfway through a firebending movement before realizing what she was doing. Her rage took control, but when her hands thrust forward, nothing happened.

She paused, looking at her fists. Roku hadn't even flinched. And instead of anger, he simply looked at her with the quiet frustration of a parent dealing with a petulant child.

"This is the spirit world and you are my blood. Any insight I may have into your mind is only that which you offer, whether intentional or not. Now, if you are done with your outburst, I'd like to get back to the question at hand. It seems to me that you have no problem whatsoever accepting the advantages of your bloodline, yet you shun the consequences. You can't have it both ways, I'm afraid."

A ruler not need concern themselves with consequence, she almost spat out. Her father had taught her that. No matter the decision, it is always correct. That was what it meant to be Fire Lord. The divine right to rule meant she was beyond such petty concerns. But was she? Had her decisions not, in fact, led to some rather severe consequences? She shook her head and spun on her heels. No. She didn't care about any of this.

"I told you I didn't come here for a lecture," she said as she walked away in hurry, to where, she had no idea - anywhere but here, to do anything but continue listening to this old man.

As she walked away, she could hear Roku's voice boom through the air behind her, "You feel more lost than you've ever felt before. Even when you felt betrayed by your own mind, you still had a goal, a focus. But it's all been stripped away, hasn't it?"

Azula slowed. Gritting her teeth, she came to a stop, but still didn't turn to face him.

"It terrifies you more than anything else doesn't it? You've had a path laid before you your entire life, always so sure of your destiny, your purpose, your meaning. And here you are now, standing at a crossroads with no idea where to go or what awaits you."

She hadn't moved from the spot. Her eyes were closed as she digested what she was being told. She felt a hand on her shoulder. She tensed for a moment then relaxed. It was a comforting touch, something she'd not felt for a very long time and it brought back memories of her mother. Azula wasn't sure if it was some strange side effect of being in the spirit world, or maybe something else, but she felt more exposed here. Strangely however, it wasn't an unpleasant experience. It wasn't that she felt defenseless or vulnerable, just more - raw. It was a hard sensation to wrap herself around, and almost as strange to her that she didn't hate it. She'd spent a lifetime trying to keep people away, holding them at arms distance, never trusting to let anyone in. Well, all except her father, and look how that turned out.

So as much as she should want to shield herself from Roku's concern, as much as the logically trained and instinctive side of her brain screamed at her not to, when she felt his hand placed on her shoulder and kind words in her ears, she surrendered to it.

"There is no shame in being scared, and there is no shame in asking for help. I was not lying when I said it was you who called out to me. Trust me when I tell you that it brings this old spirit no joy to see his great-granddaughter in this kind of pain."

. . . . . . . . .

Back on the ship, there was no one to wipe the tears that were falling from Azula's closed eyes. For the last twelve hours, any and all attention had been paid exclusively to the surgery being performed only a few meters away from where Azula lay unconscious. Ty Lee was only in and out of the room a few times over the last several hours. Nagohda's upper body was sticking out through a curtain so she could walk in and apply pressure to the necessary chi points without having to see what Katara and the doctors were doing on the other side of it. It had been the one condition Ty Lee insisted on before agreeing to help. Katara wasn't as lucky.

To her credit, she'd only thrown up once, and that was at the beginning. Watching Wei slice open the skin around the knee, then peel it back like skinning an animal- well, she hadn't taken it well. Good thing for her, the railing on the deck of the ship was just outside the door.

That hadn't instilled either Sung or Wei with a great deal of confidence. Though, as the day proceeded, Katara forced herself to push past it and concentrate on the task at hand. After a while, she operated perfectly in sync with Sung's instructions. A few hours later, she was working in sync without any instructions at all. It was same thing over and over. The doctors used their variety of strangely shaped tools to cut, pull and prod things back in place, and Katara used her waterbending to heal it and make sure it stayed. It was arduous and tedious. Some of the damage took only a few minutes of application of her bending to heal, while larger damage, such as the mass of torn muscles behind the knee, took hours.

The sun was already kissing the horizon by the time the infirmary door swung open and a tired, pale faced Katara walked out for a breath of fresh but salty sea air. Everything had gone well. Better then she could have expected. Sung, who, when they'd first met, seemed offended at having to work alongside a lowly waterbender, had even praised her. Sung had even gone so far as to tell Katara that, after what she'd just seen, she was going to make a personal request to the Fire Lord that she be allowed to serve as a "medical ambassador" to the watertribes - a title Katara assumed Sung had just made up - so that she could fully explore the potential of combining Fire Nation medical technology with watertribe healing. "Congratulations," she'd said to Katara as her and Wei worked to dress and wrap Nagohda's leg once they were done. "You may have just helped revolutionize medical technology as we know it."

Katara wasn't sure if Sung was exaggerating or not, and honestly, right now, she didn't really care. Katara was just proud of what she'd been able to accomplish at the moment. She was just happy that Nagohda was going back to his mother in one piece. As far as "revolutionizing" medical technology went, well, that sort of depended on whether or not the world was still around...

She was thankful that the door exiting the infirmary was on the opposite side of the ship from Crescent Island. For a brief few moments, she was feeling good about herself and the last thing she needed after all that was an immediate reminder that it may have all been for nothing. It was just as her mind was getting around to that point and all the good feelings were fading that Sokka and Suki came around the corner, arm in arm. At the sight of her, Sokka broke away and came over. He was concerned about how she looked, but she assured him that she was fine, just tired.

"So how'd it go?" he asked.

"Fine," Katara offered, too tired to get into details. It seemed enough to satisfy Suki and Sokka, however she could sense this wasn't the reason he was here.

"So..." Sokka went on, "When do you think he'll be awake?"

Katara looked at him. "Why do you care?" she asked with no intention of a harsh tone, but perhaps it came out that way due to her tiredness. Sokka got a bit defensive, but before he could really say anything, Suki jumped in.

"Sokka thinks he," Suki nodded her head toward the infirmary and continued, "might be able to tell us more about that spirit creature."

She didn't have to explain more. Katara understood why. She thought about it for a second. "He's a lot better now, but we just finished. If we have to wake him up, at least give him 'till morning. In the meantime," Katara said as she pushed herself away from the rail and started walking alongside Sokka. "I'm starving. Let's get something to eat and you can fill me in on that meeting you guys had."

. . . . . . . . .

It had taken Katara most of the morning to gather everyone together, which was a bit of an annoyance since trying to get info out of Nagohda was Sokka's idea, yet it fell to her to get everyone that wanted to be part of it rustled together to do just that. She understood; tensions were high, and while, for once, the Fire Nation was behaving itself, there was a constant back and forth between small Earth Kingdom factions. It wasn't just attempts or threats to break the treaty, either. Unlike the Fire Nation, the Earth Kingdom wasn't truly unified under one King. In theory, yes, but because of its sheer size, regional Kings and Lords, such as Aang's friend Bumi, ruled over their own cities and provinces, and many of those men valued their loyalty to a provincial Lord far more than they did to a faraway King that barely left his palace, much less the city.

So the trouble wasn't with the Earth Kingdom navy trying to attack the gathered Fire Nation forces as much as it was fighting amongst itself. Aang had spent almost his entire time since returning putting out brush fires between countrymen. Iroh was doing much the same only with less success. For all the same reasons that the infighting was continuing to escalate, Iroh and the White Lotus's standing as official envoys of the Earth King meant almost nothing to half the gathered fleet.

Finally, just before noon, she miraculously got everyone, minus Iroh, crammed into the infirmary and gathered about Nagohda's bed. Katara nodded to Ty Lee. She wanted her just in case Nagohda was in more pain then she expected. Swishing some warm water out from a bowl and into the air, it wrapped around her hands and then she placed them alongside Nagohda's head. A soft blue glow emanated from the liquid blobs hovering around his temples under Katara fingers. Nagohda's eyes started to flit about then popped open. He woke with a start, trying to lift himself from the bed, but Katara held him down.

"Not so fast," she said.

Nagohda tried to say something, but barely a croak came out. Katara waterbent the headwater back to the bowl, and lifted some clean water from a glass. A sphere of liquid floated to Nagohda's mouth and touched his lips. He was already sucking it down before Katara could encourage him to drink. Still groggy, he looked around his bed at everyone gathered about it. He opened his mouth and started speaking in a still-froggy voice with slight trepidation due to all the faces staring back at him.

"I..." He coughed. "I feel like I did something wrong?" His statement turned into a question at the end.

Then his eyes went wide. He snapped fully awake and tried to sit up, yelling, "Azula! Where's..."

He screamed in pain and fell back into bed, grinding his teeth and moaning in pain.

Katara nodded to Ty Lee who was already jabbing her finger into the pressure points along Nagohda's neck.

"She's fine," Katara said, perhaps a little more harshly than she intended, though perhaps not. She pointed to the princess lying unconscious across the room and Nagohda followed it.

"Thank you," he said, and from the look in his eyes, she knew what he meant. He wasn't thanking her for pointing out Azula, or even Ty Lee using her chi blocking to cut off the burst of pain. He was specifically thanking Katara for using the spirit water to save Azula's life. Katara just nodded and didn't say anything. The spirit water was supposed to be a weapon against Kaji and she wasn't convinced that using on Azula wasn't a huge mistake.

Nagohda, his face covered in sweat, let out a long sigh. Ty Lee numbed him from the neck down and the relief was obvious on his face. Closing his eyes then lifting his head slightly from the pillow to look around, he asked, "What happened?"

"That's what we were hoping you could tell us," Sokka said.

Nagohda looked around the group. All eyes were on him. Some of them he recognized - the Avatar and Katara of course, he'd had waterbending classes with them... He jumped back up.

"My mom!" he yelled. "She..."

Katara pushed him back on the bed.

"Stop doing that, you've got broken ribs, a broken arm and a broken leg. Just because you're numb doesn't mean you're not hurting yourself! Here," she said, adjusting the gurney with Sokka's help so that Nagohda could sit up and talk to them without hurting himself anymore. As they did this, she explained the situation to Nagohda.

"Do you remember running into me in Yenrai?" she asked, fiddling with the bed and not looking at him. Stupid overcomplicated Fire Nation junk, she thought as she tried unlatching and notching up the bed.

"Oh yeah," he said. "Yeah, I remember that."

"We were on our way to the Northern Watertribe at the time. I saw your mom. She knows you're ok," she said, still fiddling with the bed. Then, looking him over, added a bit more.

"Well, for better or worse. By the way," she asked, finally managing to pull the bed up and lock it. She came around and continued her question, "When we met, you ran away like you were afraid of something. Do you remember why?"

She wasn't sure if it had anything to do with the fire spirit, but it seemed a good bet. Not to mention it at least gave them a way to broach the topic.

"Yeah," Nagohda said, furling his brow then shaking his head slightly.

"Yeah I remember that. It was really weird and don't take this the wrong way," he said, nodding at Aang, "But when I saw you, I just got this terrible panicked feeling, like I had to get as far away from you as I could."

"So the Kaji was afraid of Aang?" Zuko asked.

Nagohda raised his good arm like a school kid asking a question, not feeling comfortable about interrupting the Fire Lord. No one said anything, but they all stopped and looked at him, which he took as a cue to ask.

"Uh," he began as he lowered his hand, a bit embarrassed. "What's a Kaji?"

There were some eye-rolls, moans, and Sokka even slapped his forehead upon realizing they'd have to tell this story _again_.

"How do you not know about it!?" Sokka asked, exasperated. "It was living in you."

Nagohda couldn't even respond, since he still didn't know what they were talking about. Then Toph interrupted with forced sarcastic enthusiasm.

"I've got a great idea guys! How about he tells us his side first," she said, pointing in his general direction, "Then, when he's done and you all start explaining the junk I've heard five times already, I can leave and you can all tell me about it later! Or even better, not!"

She cut the goofy forced enthusiasm and shot a finger at Nagohda again. This time, slightly more on the mark, she was at least pointing at his left shoulder, and continued in a more serious voice.

"Alright, you, spill it! Let's start with how you hooked up with slumber princess over there," at which point she pointed at the complete wrong corner of the room. Not that it was any mystery who she was talking about. So, Nagohda took a deep breath, and began.

He started as far back as his initial amnesia started. Even though he remembered everything now, as far as this all seemed concerned, that was pretty much the starting point. Nagohda told them everything. From waking up in the forest and having no memory, to the wandering for days, blacking out, and even sometimes losing consciousness as he walked, and finally about the manifestation of his unusual powers.

"That actually sounds kind of awesome!" Toph added when he got to the part about being fireproof.

Nagohda nodded, agreeing. "Yeah, it kind of was, although the exploding, not so much."

He continued, explaining the whole situation at the hospital and how it had led to him and Azula escaping. There didn't seem to be any particular surprise on anyone's face as he described how she'd manage to manipulate the whole situation to her advantage. He continued, not getting into intimate details, but summing up anything that felt relevant. He again recalled meeting Katara, Aang, Sokka, and Toph in Yenrai. As Nagohda told his side of the tale, the rest of them made mental notes, comparing his explanation with what they learned and experienced.

Strangely, when he got to the night of the fire pillar, an event everyone on Zuko's airship, Suki and Ty Lee on the ground, and nearly half the Earth Kingdom had seen, he didn't say anything about it. When Zuko brought it up, Nagohda paused for a moment, looking at all of them in a bit of shock.

"So... that was real?" he asked with a completely surprised look on his face. "I actually did that?"

He shook his head, blinking his eyes a few times. "Sorry, but from that point on, everything gets a bit... fuzzy. I honestly thought I dreamed that part. I mean, with everything else that happened that night..."

He trailed off a bit as though he was straining to get a hold of the memories. As he did, he mumbled to himself, though audibly enough that everyone could hear what he was saying.

"I remember Azula dragging me through the mud naked, then..."

...and for some odd reason, the room went silent. He looked up, and realizing he'd said that out loud, and tried clearing it up.

"No, no, no, that's not... she wasn't naked, I was, and..." He bit his lip to stop himself talking, then eked out, "I'm... I'm not really making this sound any better, am I?"

"Well, you certainly piqued my interest," Mai said, leaning against a wall and spinning a knife in her hand. "Honestly this whole story was pretty boring up till now. I would have never guessed Azula was so..."

"Yeah," Toph chimed in. "I was about to fall asleep, but things are finally getting interesting. So details, sucker. Tell us more about..."

"No, stop!" Zuko said, bright red and frustrated. "Seriously! We have more important things too..."

Zuko looked like he was about to blow up. Aang and Katara were almost as red as he was. Sokka, Suki and Ty Lee on the other hand were just trying not to crack up, more at Zuko's reaction than anything else. And true to their word, Toph and Mai were now paying full attention.

"Actually, now that I think about..." Nagohda said, regaining everyone's attention. "Wasn't I naked when you found me back on the Volcano too?"

He looked around, now flushing red himself and shook his head. "The worst part of this whole thing is that way too many people have seen me naked."

There was a pause. No one was really sure what to say after that, and then Toph cut in, saying, in a completely straight and unfazed voice, "What's the big deal? I see everyone naked."

Whether it was her intention to bring the awkwardness full circle or not, it was certainly the effect her comment had. For about three seconds, no one said anything. Perhaps everyone was trying to decide if she was being serious or not.

"What? You guys really think your clothes transfer that much vibration? Nope!" Toph said in response to a dead quiet room. Sokka slightly shifted his hands over his crotch, and still no one said anything. Most of them still couldn't figure out if she was making it up or not.

"Oh, geez! Get over it. It's just how I see people," Toph said, spinning on her heels. "Whatever. This just got stale. I'm out."

She left the room with no one still sure if she was telling the truth or not.

Zuko cleared his throat. "Can we please get back to what's important here!?"

Nagohda continued, patching in the pieces he now realized weren't a dream and ending with last moments he remembered, standing on the cliff, begging Azula not to kill Zuko.

Nagohda had a bit of trouble spitting that last part out. It was difficult to talk about for more than a few reasons, one of them being that it was sort of hard to explain to the man she'd been trying to kill that saving him hadn't actually been Nagohda's priority. So, when Zuko thanked him, Nagohda just sort of let it pass and continued. It then dawned on him that this was the first time since he'd been awake that he even thought about it. He paused for a moment and twisted his head just enough to look at the reddish twisted spider web of a scar that started across his shoulder and snaked down his chest and arm.

Sokka popped his arm around and Aang and said to Nagohda, "Hey, you, Zuko and Aang should start an Azula lightning scar club!"

It was an attempt at levity that unfortunately fell a bit flat. Nagohda gave him a blank look and Katara grabbed him by the ear and dragged him away. "Sokka, not now!"

Nagohda finished with what little more he could tell them, which wasn't much. He described what it was like when he felt it taking over his body. How he'd felt it's presence, then fell into a dream... only to wake up on the volcano were they'd found him with Azula laying lifeless on top of him.

Nagohda hesitated for a second. There was something more, but he wasn't sure if...

Aang noticed the look on his face and ended up asking, "What is it?"

Nagohda screwed up his face a bit, as though still debating whether or not to say what was on his mind, but decided to anyway.

"This is might sound weird, especially with everything you've told me... but I don't think it's evil."

"Oh, no, of course not," Sokka said. "It's just trying to kill the world. Nothing evil about that. Must just be a big misunderstanding."

"Sokka's right," Zuko said to Nagohda. "You might still be disoriented after what it did to you, but I saw this thing kill several of my own men in cold blood. It almost killed me as well."

"Yeah... I guess," Nagohda agreed halfheartedly, but deep down, he knew it just didn't feel right.

. . . . . . . . .

When Azula returned with Roku to the strangely ethereal clump of weeds of whatever it was that she kept thinking of as the spirit world's answer to a park bench, she noticed that its patterns and even overall shape had shifted and changed significantly in the few moments between her almost storming off and returning. It wasn't much more than a momentary distraction, something she noticed off hand out the corner of her eye as she sat back down, but it did make her wonder, if only for a moment, if perhaps time in the spirit world flowed differently than it did back in the physical world.

She sat next to Roku for the next few minutes without saying anything. She was still slightly overwhelmed by the ease of the trust she found in him. It wasn't natural for her to feel this way - no, that wasn't right. It was more accurate to say that she hadn't been trained to feel this way, because, if she was being perfectly honest with herself, it felt completely natural. Not like when she was trapped in her own mind, when she'd only started listening to the voices and visions because she was too worn out and too worn down to keep fighting back, when she only surrendered to the voices and visions because she was simply too exhausted to do otherwise. Here, with Avatar Roku, her great-grandfather, it wasn't herself she was surrendering this time, only her defenses. For the first time in the longest time, perhaps longer than she could even remember, she didn't want them.

She went to wipe her eyes but then realized there was no need. Despite feeling as though she was crying, there were no tears to wipe away. She supposed it would be a bit strange if spirits actually cried, but then again, who was she to say what was strange anymore, especially here. She laughed to herself. Then, for the first time in several minutes, turned to Roku and spoke up as though there had been no break in their previous conversation.

"So, I assume this is the part where you tell me I have to start playing nice with everyone," she said rather curtly. In all honesty, she truly had no idea what lay ahead of her, what decisions she would make, or where her life was headed from here. It was exactly as Roku had said. She felt directionless, lost, but that hardly meant that she wanted someone to grab at her fallen strings and start playing her like a puppet once more. No matter what she did from here on out, good or bad, it was going to be her decision and no one else's.

"Hmm..." Roku started, tapping a finger on his chin then running his hands through his beard. "In your current state, I suppose anything I tell you would only make you more prone to do the opposite. So no, I don't think it's my place to tell you what to do. Your destiny, whichever you choose it to be, will be your decision and your decision alone."

Surprised by this answer, Azula sat up and looked at him suspiciously. Yes, it was true that she felt an unusual degree of trust toward him, that didn't override the deeply ingrained alarm bells sounding in her brain when she suspected someone was trying to manipulate her.

"However," Roku went on, at which Azula rolled her eyes. Of course there was a 'however.'

"I want you to understand something very important. If I am to leave you with anything, it's this. Sozin and I have left with you with a terrible burden of power."

Azula scrunched her brow, looking at Roku in confusion as if trying to untangle some mystery in what he'd said. Burden of power. It almost made no sense to her. Power was freedom, a burden was in having none, and she told Roku such.

"I don't understand what you're getting at. I've never thought as power as a burden," Azula said, almost as an offhand comment.

Roku's voice grew fierce and commanding, though somehow still gentle, like a grandfather gently scolding a child. "And that is exactly the problem. It's the very reason you are here, the very reason you feel as lost as you do. Because of who you are, what you do will leave its mark on history. You bear a responsibility - the power to change the world, to upset or heal the very balance of things and you have so far treated that power with the discretion of a spoiled child. However-"

He paused and in the next moment, spoke in a calmer voice.

"I can sense that you have been through much. The person you were before is not the person that sits before me now. And while I may not have the best credentials when it comes to putting my trust in Fire Nation royals, I am hoping that this time may turn out better than my last. It was Sozin's ambition that tore the world apart, and in you is the power to either heal that divide, or further it."

Azula looked at him with a cocked eyebrow. "You may have missed a memo or two, but the war's over. There's nothing for me to heal, or divide, or whatever it is your trying to get at. And regardless, even if there was, I still don't see how correcting your mistakes is my problem. Healing the world? No offense, but I sincerely think you've got the wrong great-grandchild. Besides, even if I was interested, and I'm not saying I am, this all sounds suspiciously like Avatar work."

"Yes, normally it would be. Unfortunately, it seems my successor will not be available for the task at hand," Roku said, nodding.

Azula looked at him, confused. Looking down at her, Roku ran his hand slowly through the length of his beard, then after a long sigh, continued.

"I just hope I'm putting my faith in the appropriate substitute. We will see, I suppose."

"What are you talking about!?" Azula spat out after not being able to make any bit of sense out of the last few things he'd said. For all she could tell, it was like he'd started talking in code.

"You'll understand when you wake up."


	50. Chapter 49: Politics of the Apocolypse

**Chapter 49**

_Politics of the Apocalypse_

Zuko sat on the bridge looking out over the water to what Crescent Island had become - a giant swirling ball of fire a mile wide and stretching so far into the sky that it burned a hole in the clouds, like the sun had fallen out of the sky and sat here, floating on the ocean's surface.

Sokka, who was standing down on deck with Aang, his sister and Suki, made a slightly different comparison than Zuko, but with the same sentiment. He likened it to an explosion frozen in time, and here they were just sitting next to it with no idea when it would just decide to continue exploding.

"It's just freakin' me out is all!" Sokka added.

"You're not the only one," Katara agreed and Aang nodded.

"So... what's the plan then?" Suki asked. It was a necessary question, but a bit of a sore point as they'd not yet been able to agree on exactly what to do. Aang knew his part. It was his job to enter the spirit world, find where Kaji was drawing its spirtual energy from, and somehow cut it off, making Kaji tangible and vulnarable here in the physical world.

But... then what?

They weren't left with any more time to contemplate the issue. At that exact moment, Crescent Island stirred. Just as Sokka had feared, it was like the explosion was starting up again. The swirling fires pulsed, and from within spat boulder sized balls of magma. One came crashing down into the ocean only a few dozen meters from Zuko's ship. A wave plowed up from the impact, towering over the deck and washed toward them. Aang acted fast and Katara was right behind. They split the wave around the bow of the ship, none of them suffering any worse than getting a little wet. Some of the other ships weren't as lucky. Another wave washed over another boat, throwing men overboard. Aang snapped the wings of his glider open and zoomed through the air to save them.

Zuko was already yelling orders to the helmsman, ordering him to fire up the boilers and get the ship moving. Black smoke sputtered from the stacks and the large ship began to lurch. Miles away, Aang could see that the Earth Nation fleet was having it even worse. Several ships were already on fire. They were neither as well protected, made of wood instead of steel, nor as fast as the Fire Nation ships, whose massive coal powered engines generated enough speed to easily outclass their Earth Kingdom counterparts, whose ships still mainly relied on wind and manpower.

Watching the chaos in the distance, Aang's attention was snapped back to the matter at hand as he heard voices yelling from the sea below. More soldiers were in the water. Aang zipped over to save them, but before he could, they were already being swept back on deck with a massive but controlled wave of water. Aang looked up and saw Katara, Sokka and Suki riding on Appa. Sokka had the reigns, Suki was on lookout, scanning the sky for more volcanic ejecta and the water for overboard soldiers, and Katara was taking on the chore of rescue duty. Once Katara set the soldiers back on deck, she looked over to the Earth Kingdom fleet and yelled to him.

"We've got this! Go help them."

He hesitated a second, then nodded. In the next moment he was moving toward the Earth Kingdom fleet as fast as his glider would carry him.

For a split second, the fact that he was Fire Lord had completely slipped Zuko's mind. He wanted nothing more than to jump down on deck, hitch a ride on Appa, and do whatever he could to help. Mai must have noticed the glint in his eyes and recognized the look he had on his face. That "I've got to do something impulsive and possibly stupid" look she'd come to expect of him. She grabbed his arm, and when he looked at her, she simply shook her head. It was all Zuko needed to realize that it was his leadership, and not personal action that this situation would benefit most from. There was a silent nod of thanks returned to Mai, and in the next moment, Zuko turned and started giving orders to the ship's captain.

He called an immediate retreat to be relayed to every ship. When asked where they were retreating too, Zuko took a moment to really think about it instead of just acting on impulse. That's when the idea hit him - how to turn all of this to a possible advantage.

"Pull the fleet back to the nearest stretch of neutral water."

"Fire Lord, I..." the captain started to protest.

"Just do it!" Zuko yelled, "Also get me five salamanders filled with as many benders as you can scramble and I need them five minutes ago."

The "Salamander" class of ships was named after tiny, bright red lizard called a fire salamander native to a small set of islands just off the western coast of the Fire Nation mainland. There was nothing terribly remarkable about them. They didn't have teeth, spines, or poison, and despite their name, couldn't shoot fire or anything of the such. Their one and only advantage was their incredible speed. Children made a game out of trying to catch them with their bare hands and even grown men considered it an accomplishment to do so. It was because of this that the smallest and fastest class of ship in the entire Fire Nation armada was nicknamed the "Salamanders."

The Capitan didn't ask any more questions. Communication between the ships was done with a series of long and short fire bending blasts, a code meant to convey simple instructions and coordinates over long distances. Even with the chaos raining around them, it took only minutes to convey the information to the rest of the fleet.

Zuko ran out on deck to scan the sky for Appa. He'd need the sky bison to meet and board the salamander ships. Out of nowhere, another red hot boulder came tumbling out of the sky and fell directly toward where Zuko now stood. He had no time to react. He braced himself for impact, reflexively blocking his face with his arms as though trying to stop a punch. A second later... nothing happened. He looked out from behind his arms and saw the house sized clump of magma floating frozen in the air above the ship. In front of him, standing on the prow was Toph, covered in sweat and shaking. With a twist of her arms and yell of great effort, the molten mass of stone and fire was thrown to the side and crashed into the ocean. Toph collapsed to one knee.

Zuko ran over to thank her and help her back up.

"I wasn't the only one bending that sucker," she said, waving off his attempts to help her up. At first, Zuko didn't understand, but then he noticed two small, sleek warships sailing right alongside them. The salamanders had arrived - two of them, at least, with one on each side of Zuko's ship. The benders on deck looked just as out of breath as Toph. That was because they'd been the ones to help Toph.

Earth and fire, working together. That was the plan.

"Ok, you stay here," Zuko said to Toph.

"Wasn't planning on going anywhere anyway," she replied. Zuko ignored her and gave her some quick instructions to relay to the Captain.

"Tell him the fleet is now under the command of General Iroh until I return. He's on the ship flying the White Lotus banner."

"Where are you going?" she yelled back, but Zuko was already off and running across the deck toward one of the salamander ships. Though Zuko had never tried this before, he'd seen his sister do it once and since he really didn't have time to wait for Appa to come around... At a full run, he planted a foot on the rail of the ship and threw himself out over the ocean. The ship he was trying to jump to was nearly fifty feet away. A stream of fire erupted from his hands and feet. Combined with the momentum from his jump, he went soaring forward. He almost cleared the gap. Zuko hit the side of the ship and just missed the rail by a few inches. He almost blacked out on impact. Instead of falling into the ocean however, his body jerked to a stop and he came around as he was dragged up on deck. He'd been caught by one of the crew practically jumping overboard to snatch him by the collar. As the world came back into focus, he could hear a few whispers.

"...he's got guts. I'll give him that," someone said with an air of begrudging respect.

Zuko shook his head and stood up. The sky was still falling all around him and the crew of the salamander he'd just (barely) boarded was awaiting orders.

It took Zuko a second to reorient himself. Then he found what he was looking for. In the distance, he could see flames and trails of smoke rising into the air from several tiny ships miles away. He looked around and saw that other three salamanders had found them. Good.

"We're heading into the Earth Kingdom fleet. Set a course and push the engines as hard as they'll go!"

No one said anything but there was an immediate air of protest. He wanted them to sail back _into_ the attack, risk their lives to save the Earth Kingdom? Zuko knew that whatever respect he may have just gained from his little stunt was now more than completely overshadowed by what he'd just said.

"That's an order," he commanded without another word. As they set into motion, Zuko looked back. In the distance, he could see puffs of flame spitting off the bridge of the ship he'd just left, and a smaller Earth Kingdom style ship with a grey and white banner adorned with a lotus petal, sent puffs of flame in response. He was at least certain that he'd left his fleet in good hands.

As Aang zipped over the ocean on his glider toward the Earth Kingdom fleet, something was obvious right away. In the stretch of ocean between fleets, not a single molten boulder fell from the sky - no flaming chunks of rock, not a single smoldering pebble. If he'd fostered any hope that this was just a random eruption, or possibly a sign that Kaji wasn't in full control of the volcano yet, that this may have been some kind of slip up on its part, he no longer had to wonder. This was very clearly an intentional attack. The spirit creature at the volcanoes heart may be biding its time to gather its power, but that, however, didn't mean it was content to just let its enemies sit on its doorstep while it did so.

Just like the Fire Nation, the Earth Kingdom fleet was in full retreat by the time Aang landed on the deck of the first burning ship he came to. With a wave of his hands, a blast of water erupting out of the ocean all around the boat and came raining down in a deluge, extinguishing the flames. Almost before anyone had even known he was there, Aang was off to save the next ship that was already half sunken. He froze the water around it and pulled it back up long enough for another ship to pull alongside it and evacuate the crew. As he shielded that evacuation, stopping ejecta in midair and redirecting it into the ocean, he saw other ships doing what they could to deflect the attacks and protect the smaller boats as they retreated.

Some of the larger warships, with well trained, war hardened crews of veteran earthbenders, were doing well enough on their own so as to not need Aang's help. Dozens of soldiers working in unison was all they needed to either slow and deflect the molten rock crashing down all around them, or simply use their own payload of large stones and boulders to blast away and knock the incoming attacks out of the sky while still at a safe distance.

Other, less experienced crews, were trying the same, but actually making matters worse.

Smoke trailing behind it, a red hot boulder the size of a canyon crawler came tumbling out of the sky, headed straight at one of the medium sized ships. Its crew, judging by the looks of sheer terror on their smooth beardless faces, had probably not seen more real battles than could be counted on one hand. When they tried to imitate the same stopping/redirect technique being employed by the more experienced soldiers, it was a disaster. There was a complete lack of coordination in both their movements and choice of destination for the smoldering boulder they were trying to stop. As a result, instead of just redirecting it into the ocean, they tore it apart, shattering it into a thousand smaller pieces and creating a devastating rain of hot coals that blanketed several ships in the vicinity, including their own, all of which burst into flames almost instantly.

Even with the Avatar state active, the sheer area that needed defending, along with his attention constantly divided between several dozen things at once, Aang could only do so much. Even the earth benders that seemed to be fairing so well at first, were starting to wear down.

"Here comes another one," the Captain of ship leading the retreat yelled to his crew. The same crew Aang had first seen successfully throwing flaming boulders to the side. Other smaller ships had crowded around them, hoping they could share in the protection, which made this ship much more a target. It was receiving heavy bombardment and the earthbenders aboard were quickly beginning to tire. Out of the sky came the largest hunk of molten rock yet. On the edge of exhaustion, they tried with all their might to slow it down, but it was no good. This was it.

Then, suddenly, it was like the massive boulder just lost half its mass, becoming far lighter and easier to control than it was just seconds ago. Looking up, they couldn't figure it out. Nothing had happened to the hunk of stone; it was the same exact size. The only difference was that it was suddenly becoming brighter and redder. As if heating up from the inside. The brighter it got the easier it became to maneuver, and at the last second they were able to direct it away, crashing into the ocean with sizzling ker-splash. They were drenched but otherwise fine. Looking between each other, wondering what had just happened, a small steel-hulled ship pulled up alongside to answer that question.

"Fire benders!" one of the earth benders yelled. He kicked up a stone, then, was bonked on the back of the helmet with the butt end of a large halberd. The stone fell to the ground and the man grabbed his helmet, which had spun around and was ringing.

"They just saved yer lives ya dern idiot!" said the man with the halberd, whose uniform clearly marked him as a higher rank then the others. He looked past the soldier who was still adjusting his helmet and walked over to the young man who had just boarded his ship.

"Yer that new Fire Lord right? Zako?"

Zuko didn't waste time correcting him, he was just glad someone recognized what he was trying to do; less time to waste trying with convincing. Speaking quickly, not even wasting time asking the officer's name, Zuko explained his intentions.

"It's earth and fire," he yelled, waving a hand at the sky. "Let my firebenders on board and we can help with the defense. I've also got five of my fastest ships to help pick up anyone washed overboard and we can also help protect the stragglers at the rear."

"I ain't gonna look a gift ostrich-horse in the mouth," the officer yelled over the sound of large molten stones crashing into the ocean, sizzling and exploding around them.

"Some 'a these other guys tho," he said, thumbing over his shoulder to the fleet trailing behind them, "might not be so keen ta listen. Just a warnin'. Though I can't imagine too many of 'em will be all that picky right now."

With the best version of a blessing as he could hope for in all the chaos, Zuko set off to distribute his firebenders among the Earth Kingdom that would accept the help. Just as... Zuko would really have to find out his name later, whoever his name was had warned him, some ships, despite damage and casualties, absolutely refused Fire Nation help.

It was a slow progression, but with a combination of the firebenders working alongside the earthbenders, the salamanders evacuating sinking ships and scooping survivors out of the ocean, and Aang filling the gaps still left in their defense, the Earth Kingdom fleet was finally making good on an organized retreat away from Crescent Island.

Finally, after what felt like hours, they were out of the danger zone, though Aang couldn't be sure if they'd actually exceeded Kaji's range, or if the fire spirit just felt it had shooed the pesky flies to an appropriately comfortable distance. Whatever the reason, the swirling mass of flames surrounding the island returned to its calmer state, or at least relatively so. It was, after all, still a gigantic mile wide swirling mass of fire; it was just no longer actively trying to kill the boats surrounding it. Its energy was now focused back on trying to kill the planet instead.

The morning had been costly. Ships and, even worse, lives, had been lost on both sides with the Earth Kingdom having received the brunt of it. Though, without the actions taken by Aang, Sokka, Suki, Katara, and Zuko, casualties is could have been much worse.

As devastating as the morning had been, Kaji's attack had done something neither Aang as the Avatar nor Iroh even with his backing from the Earth King had been able to do over the last few days. For the first time in over a century, Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation ships floated freely amongst one another, crews of each intermingling in the aftermath.

There was still an undeniable feeling of tension in the air lingering amongst and between both nations' solders. No one expected that to vanish completely even in light of this morning's events. Nonetheless it had diminished significantly. Zuko's actions alone, risking not only the life of his men, but his as well, in order to save the lives of Earth Kingdom solders, had gone a long way in earning their trust. It was undeniable that the ferocity of Kaji's attack and its seemingly endless amount of power was, more than anything, the real reason for this newfound alliance.

It was however, an alliance nonetheless.

. . . . . . .

Though they were no longer under attack, no one was taking any time to rest. Zuko, Iroh, Aang and even Suki were busy meeting with all the top-ranked Earth Kingdom officers in the War room on Zuko's ship. Sokka was working with Gou, who in turn was directing any and every able-bodied person available in repairs to whatever boats they could salvage, Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation alike. Katara had possibly the most work cut out for her. There were plenty of doctors and medics on hand from both fleets, but none of them could do what her waterbending could. Her healing was in high demand, and unfortunately, there was only one of her.

The most heavily burned and wounded had been moved to this ship and the infirmary was fit to burst. Azula and Nagohda had been moved below decks to a smaller room. Azula, still unconscious, had to be carried. Nagohda was well enough to have been put in a wheelchair, but with a broken arm and the strain it placed on his broken ribs to try rolling it with one hand, he still needed assistance to move around. Katara suggested Ty Lee for the job since she seemed to be glued to Azula as it was and Nagohda insisted on staying with her as well.

It had been dark for several hours by the time Katara took her leave of the infirmary, completely and utterly exhausted. She was heading to the war room, sure that Aang, Zuko and the others were still in session, when she decided to stop by Nagohda's room to see how he was holding up, both from his injuries and from having been cooped up in the same room with Ty Lee for the last several hours.

"Oh come on!" Katara heard Ty Lee say as she cracked open the door. Ty Lee seemed to be giving him the third degree.

"She threw herself in front of a lightning bolt to save you. We all saw her do it, and trust me, that's the most un-Azula thing I've ever seen her do. In fact, she's the one usually doing the zapping..."

"Ahem!" Katara said, clearing her throat.

Ty Lee stopped mid-sentence and looked up, as did Nagohda. A distinct look of relief washed across his flushed face and Katara wondered just how long and how personal Ty Lee's interrogation had been. Katara could also swear that the acrobat turned Kyoshi warrior's usual wide smile had a slightly more devious twinge to it than usual, which gave Katara the distinct impression that Ty Lee understood exactly how much she was embarrassing Nagohda and seemed to be taking a certain perverse pleasure from it.

To Nagohda's relief, Katara interrupted by checking how his injuries were healing. While she did that, she told him what she'd said in the war meeting, about him returning to the Northern Watertribe. He seemed excited at first, relieved and smiling at the prospect of finally going home. Then his expression quickly changed as something seemed to dawn on him.

Looking over at Azula, he asked Katara, "Do you know how much longer she's going to be asleep?"

Ty Lee, who had moved away from Nagohda once Katara showed up and was now sitting beside Azula and was adjusting her head on the pillow, tried to hid a devilish little smile that made its way across her lips upon hearing him say this.

"No," Katara said flatly without adding anything else. Nagohda looked back at her and got the impression that Katara didn't particularly care for Azula. He didn't press the issue, because if even half of what Ty Lee had let slip was true, he probably didn't _want_ to know.

"Everything looks good. Well, not so much good as not any worse than it was before. I just came around to make sure you didn't get banged up anymore in the attack," Katara said.

"So what happened anyway? I got the basics from some of the crew. They say the volcano erupted. But... it's that thing isn't it? That spirit that was living inside me. It just tried to wipe us all out, didn't it? We'll be ok won't we, I mean we've got the Avatar on our side right?"

"Yeah," Katara said after a slight hesitation. From the look on his face, it wasn't exactly the enthusiastic, hope filled response Nagohda was expecting. This was part because she was so tired and part because she really didn't know if they could win this battle. Aang had his part in this battle, a part that would take him off the field and leave the fighting to them. After what Kaji did this morning, it was clear that even the combined might of all these warships was pretty useless compared to what this creature was capable of unleashing. If only...

An idea hit her.

Katara stood up, said goodbye to Nagohda and told him she'd back in the morning with some good news though didn't tell him what.

"And you," Katara said to Ty Lee, making a head motion toward the door. Ty Lee took the message and followed her out. Before leaving, she peaked her head back in and Katara heard Ty Lee say to Nagohda, "I'll be back, too. I want more details about that part where she was dragging you around naked."

"What's up?" Ty Lee asked once she caught up alongside Katara.

"You wanna lay off a little? He's still recovering," Katara asked.

"What?" Ty Lee said with mock innocence.

"You know what I'm talking about. You're harassing my patient," Katara said.

"I'm just trying to find out what's going on between those two. Trust me - if anyone needs a boyfriend, it's Azula. And I think they make a cute couple."

Katara rolled her eyes. Was this really the time to worrying about this kind of thing?

A few minutes later, and one Ty Lee-less Katara found her way to the war room. The door was open and only a few familiar voices, echoing off the metallic walls and out into the hall, could be heard from inside. Everyone from the Earth Kingdom was gone, as was most of Zuko's men. The meeting had apparently been convened. Aang was explaining something about Guru Pathik to Zuko. Mai sat beside Zuko, arms crossed, eyes half open, and looking positively uninterested in what Aang was telling them. Suki was speaking quietly enough to Toph that she couldn't hear what they were saying, and next to Suki, Sokka's head was planted firmly on the table. She was pretty sure he was asleep.

"Where's Iroh?" she asked at the same moment Aang looked up and noticed her. Zuko turned and answered.

"He left. Gone to shore on his ship to try scrape together as many of the White Lotus as he can. He thinks were gonna need a lot more people to win this fight."

"So do I," she was looking right at Zuko when she said it with the same determination in her eyes that she usually reserved for a fight. This seemed to catch everyone's attention and for a moment, Aang thought that maybe Katara had some sort of sudden issue with Zuko that he was unaware of. Suki even gave Sokka a waking jab to the ribs. He sat up with a "Huh? Wha?"

"Can you spare one of your faster ships?" she asked.

"What? Why?" Zuko asked. He was a little thrown. Her request (at least it had been that instead of an attack) seemed to come out of the blue. What did she need one of his ships for? As if she could read that very question on his face, Katara went on.

"It's not for me. I want to send Nagohda home, back to the Northern Water Tribe."

Zuko, Sokka and Suki all looked confused. This hardly seemed like something to be worrying about right now. Katara, aware what they were thinking, looked up and continued.

"We've got the cooperation of the Earth Kingdom, and that's a start, but like your Uncle said, it won't be enough. We need all the help we can get. We need the Water Tribe in on this too. Aang could go on Appa and ask, but with what happened this morning, I think Aang needs to stay here. Just in case. Sokka and I are close to Arnook, but I don't think we'd have the same pull. Plus we'd be asking him to send help to the Fire Nation, which, well, after what happened last year... But, if a Fire Nation ship was to show up unarmed to return one of its people that went missing as an act of goodwill..."

She trailed off on this point a bit as Zuko started thinking about it. She continued while he thought it through.

"Nagohda can explain the rest. I think having one of their own vouching for Zuko will help. He can tell them about what's going on here and how Aang's trying to stop it and that even the Earth Kingdom is now working alongside the Fire Nation to try and stop this thing."

_And because I promised myself I'd get Nagohda back to his mother._

She said that last part only in her head.

"We'd also be helping Iroh," Katara kept on as Zuko didn't look entirely convinced. "You remember our water bending master, right? He's a member of the White Lotus too. This way we can probably get word to him before Iroh can and Pakku can start gathering members on his end to meet us here."

While Zuko thought it over, Katara added a final push. "If you're really serious about helping Aang restore balance to the world, then what better way than to bring the Fire Nation, Watertribes, and Earth Kingdom together to fight for a common good? To conquer an enemy that threatens us all. What better legacy could you have as Fire Lord to help overshadow what your father did?"

With having to say another word, Zuko nodded agreement.

. . . . . . . . .

The next day wasn't any less busy. Repairs were still being done, though mostly to the Earth Kingdom ships as Toph had been able to repair what damage had been done to the steel hulls of Fire Nation ships almost completely on her own and in one day. Gou, Zuko's head engineer and mechanic, was quickly becoming a huge fan of hers.

Zuko and Aang were still busy meeting with Earth Kingdom officers. The biggest problem there was trying to establish a chain of command everyone was happy with. Unlike the Fire Nation, where the Fire Lord was the ultimate authority and whose orders where followed without question, the Earth Kingdom worked a little differently. The farther one got from Ba Sing Se, the less sway the Earth King had. In fact, it could even be argued that his authority didn't pass much beyond the walls of Ba Sing Se. This was the very reason other kings, such as Bumi, even existed. So, while a majority of the ships gathered in the Earth Kingdoms hodge podge fleet were loyal to the Earth King, about a fifth of them were not.

These were the ships that most staunchly refused the Fire Nations aid during Kaji's assault. These were also the ships who, even now, hung on the outskirts of the flotilla and still refused any contact with Zuko or anyone associating with him. That even included anyone from the Earth Kingdom now siding with Zuko. Aang was the only one they were even letting on board, but he hadn't made much headway with them either.

"Though I notice they aren't too offended to take shelter next to our ships," Zuko grumbled under his breath as they tried to work around the situation with a few of the cooperating Earth Kingdom Captains. Before he'd left, Iroh made it very clear that it was essential that every ship and every soldier be on the same page - that the agenda was clear for everyone.

In the middle of all this arguing, it was Aang that finally stood up and said with an odd determination, "I'm going to go find Toph." Aang headed toward the door with all eyes on him.

"Uh, Aang. Wait a minute, what are..." Zuko started to ask. Aang turned around with a smile on his face. "Don't worry. Toph keeps telling me I've gotta think more like an earthbender. So I'm gonna give that a try. Just give me the day and I think I can get them on board."

Just as it was the day before, Katara was probably busier than anyone. Helping alongside the other healers and doctors, she spent the first few hectic hours of the morning tending to the worst of the injuries of yesterday's attack. It wasn't even untill around noon that she had time to go and see Nagohda to tell him the news. He was going home.

Not much to her surprise, he wasn't as excited about it as she was. She didn't have to see him constantly looking over at Azula, who was still lying unconscious in the bed next to him, to understand why. She had a sense that it wasn't just some one-sided obsession, though it was hard not to think of it that way. She knew Azula well enough to know that she sure wouldn't be above using someone, enticing them to do her bidding... Though that didn't explain what she'd seen Azula do back on the volcano. As hard as it was to believe, there really might be something between these two.

Not that Katara was in any hurry to see Azula wake up. After all, just because Azula may have gotten a little weak in the knees toward a guy didn't suddenly make her not evil and trust worthy. She would have been just as happy to suggest to Zuko that Azula get shipped back to the asylum as soon as Nagohda was gone. The only reason she hadn't suggested it, was because that's exactly where Azula had escaped from the first time. Even with everything else going on, the safest place to keep Azula was probably on board the same ship as the Avatar.

She left Nagohda and went back to the infirmary. It would be dark by the time she was done for the day. Deciding to look for Aang, she headed to the war room where she was sure he would be talking with Zuko. Though, when she arrived, he wasn't there. Sokka, Zuko and Suki were pouring over the large map on the wall. Mai was sitting in Zuko's chair, cleaning her fingernails with a knife. Before she could ask, however, the door on the other side of the room clanged open and in walked Aang and Toph. Katara gasped as soon as she saw them. Aang had an arm slung around Toph's shoulder and was limping a bit. He had a black eye and was bleeding a bit from the nose. Despite this, they were both laughing.

"What..." Katara stammered out, running toward him, "What happened to you!?"

Aang smiled at her. "Nothing a little healing won't fix."

"That doesn't answer the question," Katara said, talking him from Toph and helping him to a seat. She shot a Toph a look that the blind girl couldn't see. Thinking that maybe they'd gotten into an overzealous training match. When Aang told her it had happened over on the Earth Kingdom ships, that didn't do much to take Katara's accusatory glare away from Toph. Aang wasn't prone to incite violence, so if they'd gotten in a fight it was probably Toph's fault.

"Hey! Don't look at me!" Toph said, knowing full well just from the course of questing that Katara was probably giving her some kind of look. "This was all your boyfriend's idea. Good thing he took me along though."

The two of them laughed again. Then, still offering no explanation as Katara helped him into his seat, Aang looked to Zuko and said, "The rest of the Earth Kingdom fleet is ready and willing to follow your command."

There was silence. After a beat, Both Zuko and Sokka looked at him and asked almost simultaneously, "What did you do?"

Sokka was even more bewildered than Zuko. After all the trouble they had, how had Aang and _Toph,_ of all people, finally gotten through to them?

"Like I said, I thought like an Earthbender."

"I couldn't believe it myself when he found me this morning," Toph said, finding a seat. "Asked if I wanted to stir up some trouble and I didn't need any more details than that."

Sokka, now frustrated that neither of them seemed anywhere near actually answering the question, said louder and clearer, enunciating each word slowly. "What. Did. You. Do!?"

Aang smiled while Katara dabbed a small trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. "Well, if it's one thing I learned from the Earth Rumble, Earth Kingdom folk may be stubborn, but they respect strength. So, with that in mind, I decided to try a more straightforward and less diplomatic approach."

"And?" Sokka asked.

"Aang challenged all their best fighters to a match. Some restrictions of course since we're both so awesome. He could only earthbend, and no Avatar juice allowed, and I couldn't use metalbending. Then it was just me and him versus all takers. If we lost they could keep being dorks, and, if we won, they'd have to do what Aang wanted."

"And they agreed!?" Zuko asked. He seemed shocked that they'd put their loyalty on the table like that.

"Yeah," Aang said. "Even being the Avatar, I don't think they thought two kids would be much of a problem, especially after I agreed to not use any other bending on the condition that would be a forfeit."

"And you won? You beat everyone?" Suki asked.

"Duh!" Toph said, almost offended.

"It was mostly me though," Toph said as she swung her filthy feet up on the table and crossed her arms behind her head. "Aang's earthbending still needs a lot of work, so after embarrassing me for a couple of rounds-"

"Hey, I won my fights!" Aang said.

"Yeah, barely," Toph said, continuing, "I had to step in and clean up. Seriously, once all this junk's over, we're going back to the basics!"

Aang sighed, then added, "Yes Sifu Toph."

"So... we've got their cooperation then?" Zuko still a bit stunned that it was that easy.

"Well," Aang said, correcting him. "I've got their cooperation. They agreed to go along with the Avatar's lead, not the Fire Nation's."

"That's good enough," Zuko said, knowing that it amounted to little more than political semantics.

"So now that everyone is coming together, what's next? What's the actual plan?" Zuko asked, looking between all of them.

"The plan," Sokka said with a shrug, "is to figure out a plan."

. . . . . . . . .

The next few days played out almost exactly the same. Katara tended to wounded. Ships got repaired. Toph and Mai remained mostly bored. Ty Lee talked Nagohda's ear off while styling Azula's hair in all sorts of ways that would otherwise get her killed if the princess were awake. Aang meditated, seeking out guidance for the task ahead of him and Zuko and Sokka sat planning. Without word yet from Iroh and no idea how the Northern Water Tribe would play into this, it was proving a difficult task at best.

As night approached on the third day after the attack, word came to Zuko that the ship he'd requested was finally free to use. It was time for Nagohda to leave.

Down below decks, the door to Nagohda's room swung open and two guards entered. One of them was pushing a wheelchair; the other held a tattered backpack.

It took Nagohda a second to register why they were here, and another moment to realize what it was one of them was carrying.

"Is that my backpack?" he asked, wondering how it could have gotten here. Last he knew it should be sitting in a cave back in Yenrai. Apparently Zuko had instructed Gou to swing by where they'd found Azula to look around for anything suspicious. He had backpacks in the caves and brought them along, after the airship had been knocked out of the sky and subsequently saved by Aang. The backpacks had gotten salvaged with the rest of the cargo, and now, here it was.

"Oh, thanks," Nagohda said as the guards helped him into his wheelchair. He could probably have used waterbending to pull a sheet of ice around his cast and hold himself up at the hip. He'd seen his mom instruct men with broken legs on how to use their waterbending to help themselves walk around like that, but it didn't really matter. The wheelchair was fine.

He gave Azula one long last look. What he wouldn't give to have her wake up right now. There was so much he wanted to tell her. In the other hand, he was glad that Ty Lee wasn't here. She was sure to make a big deal of it and try to get some kind of confession out of him, and to be honest, her constant hammering on the issue wasn't making leaving Azula like this any easier. Though it's not like she'd put any ideas in his head that weren't already there. His chest burned. Was this it? Was this really the last time he was ever going to see her? After all, what were the chances a peasant like him...

As they wheeled him out, he found her brother, Fire Lord Zuko, in the hall waiting for him. Nagohda wasn't sure how to react. Sure, he'd met him once before, when they'd all gathered around his bed to tell him about Kaji and get his side of the story. And if Nagohda really thought about it, he supposed that they'd met once even before that. When the Kaji creature had been wearing him and tried to kill the Fire Lord... Nagohda would rather not think of that as their first meeting however...

Perhaps seeing the trepidation on Nagohda's face, Zuko lifted a hand and waved him off. "It's ok. You don't have to bow or anything. I just wanted to thank you because I didn't get a chance before. You helped my sister when I think she may have needed it most. If there's anything you need from me, anything I can do for you, just let me know."

At first, too stunned to think of anything, Nagohda just mumbled something. As the guards started to wheel him away, he stopped them and said, "Wait! Yeah, there is something."

"What is it?" Zuko asked.

Nagohda paused for a moment, trying to think of exactly how to ask what he was thinking, then said, "If I wanted to write something to her... can you make sure she gets it?"

Zuko looked at him for a moment, then gave a nod. "I promise she will."

A weight seemed to lift from Nagohda.

"Thank you," he said with complete sincerity.

Then he proceeded to be wheeled out on deck.

. . . . . . . . .

Ty Lee had gone back to hang out at Azula's bedside. Some people might think it an unhealthy obsession, but truth be told, she really didn't have anything else to do. Her boss, Suki, was in and out of war meetings of which Ty Lee had absolutely no interest or need to attend. She tried hanging out with Mai, but all she wanted to do was hang out in the fancy room that had been set aside for her and Zuko and complain about how bored she was. Gee, wonder why? Ty Lee thought. She'd been out on deck to exercise and stretch, walking on her hands, doing handstands with her feet wrapped around to the back of her head as well as doing handstand splits, and the splits in various other positions. Then, out of nowhere some officer yelled at her for distracting his men during drills. Like that was her fault!

And now that Nagohda was leaving, she didn't even have him to talk to. She found that out only a few minutes ago after she ran into Zuko in the hallway. Sighing, she sat down next to Azula's bed and went to start in on her knew pastime, trying out new hairstyles on Azula. She'd done a braid like hers, pigtails, ponytails (single and double on both). She tried playing around with it and tucking it behind her head to approximate Mai's hairstyle, which looked really weird. She considered trying those loopy things Katara wore, but figured Azula might try to kill her if she woke up with those. Instead, she finally decided on just putting it back the way she usually wore it. Of course she'd need something for a hairpin.

Looking around and finding nothing that would work (she wished she had Azula's old gold flame hairpin, she always liked that one). Shrugging to herself when she couldn't find anything, she turned around when she heard a slight shuffling sound. Ty Lee jumped and made a bit of a squeak.

Groggily blinking her unfocused eyes and struggling to sit up, Azula was awake.


End file.
